< /p> Humpback whale tails are just as unique/yahoo.news
A team of scientists from Cornell University in the United States has been working for ten years to catalog humpback whales based on visual analysis of their tails. During this time, they came to an interesting and stunning conclusion.
Colors and patterns on whale tails are unique, just like fingerprints on human hands. This is reported on the Yahoo.news page.
The researchers managed to identify 70 humpback whales. They hope to see some of them again to record any physical changes that might provide clues about their migratory behavior, population size, health and maturity.
Identifying marine mammals from photographs is commonplace, but tail identification is most commonly used for humpback whales because of their unique markings and their habit of raising their tail above the water when diving.
If the whale always comes to the same place to breed, it is important to protect these areas. If they cease to exist or are disturbed, this whale will have nowhere to go, said one of the researchers.
The global humpback whale population has recovered after being decimated by commercial whaling. However, humpback whales are still at risk due to ship collisions, illegal fishing, pollution and underwater noise.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, there are currently almost 84,000 adult whales in the world. However, in less than ten years, the number of humpback whales in the North Pacific Ocean has fallen by 20%. Researchers noticed this and determined that the reason for the population decline is starvation due to sea heat waves.
Whales/unsplash