SYDNEY, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Humpback whales giving birth on the coast of Western Australia do so in areas much further south than previously thought, in the world's largest migration spot for the animals, according to a latest research.
The area where the whales give birth extend more than 1,000 km south of Camden Sound in the Kimberley region along their migratory corridor to at least the Ningaloo coast in Pilbara, the University of Tasmania's Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies quoted its researcher Lyn Irvine as saying in a statement on Wednesday.
"Up to 30,000 humpbacks are part of the population which migrates along the WA Coast each year as they move from their Antarctic feeding grounds to breeding and calving sites in tropical coastal waters," said Irvine, adding that details about where the whales are born are important because it can help with strategies to "manage and conserve the species."
Her research, including aerial surveys, was published in the Marine Mammal Science journal.
Whale watching along the Western Australia state coast is a major tourist activity, including swimming tours and cruises near the animals, according to local tourism authorities.
"Identifying critical habitat such as calving grounds will become increasingly important in coming years as the humpback whale population continues to grow and potentially overlap with human activities," said Irvine.
