The super-groups can contain up to 200 whales and have been spotted feeding intensively off South Africa – thousands of miles further north than their usual feeding grounds near Antarctic
The sea creatures aren’t considered to be social and as yet the unusual gatherings have not been explained by scientists studying them from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in South Africa
One theory suggests that the remarkable behaviour, may be a return to conduct seen before the species numbers were reduced by 90% by whaling around a century ago.
‘What has led to such a drastic change in whale behaviour? We don’t know for sure yet. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” says Ken Findlay, the lead author, told New Scientist.
The whales have been seen far further north than normally expected (Picture: PLoS ONE)
The mass gatherings could be a result of growing populations (Picture: Shutterstock)
‘It’s possible that the behaviour was occurring but just not where it was visible. Because there were so few of them, we may not have seen it.’
Humpback whale populations have undergone a resurgence in recent years with most populations now not considered endangered, reports Science Alert.
Australia’s humpback whale population is now estimated at between 25,000 and 26,000.
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