The BBC reports that a humpback whale has made one of the longest and most unusual migrations ever recorded, possibly driven by climate change, scientists say.

It was seen in the Pacific Ocean off Colombia in 2017 and then popped up several years later near Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean—a distance of at least 7,000 nautical miles.

Scientists behind the research, published Wednesday in the journal Royal Society Open Science, suggest that the odyssey may be linked to climate change — which is affecting ocean conditions and depleting food stocks — or possibly a shift in mating strategies.

Ekaterina Kalashnikova of the Tanzania Cetaceans Program said the feat was “truly impressive and unusual even for this highly migratory species”.

The wandering male was among a group of humpbacks photographed from a research vessel on the Pacific coast of Colombia in 2013.

He was then identified in a similar area in 2017 – and off Zanzibar in 2022.

The sightings are separated by a 7,044 km great-circle distance – the minimum distance for the route the whale might have taken, the scientists say, though it is likely to be much greater.

Dr. Kalashnikova said it was very likely the longest distance a humpback whale had ever been recorded traveling.

Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to this post.