On Saturday (14 Sept), a video of what is believed to be a humpback whale near Redang Island, Terengganu, Malaysia went viral on TikTok.
The 39-second video, uploaded by @akihiro_san28, has since garnered 843,000 views.
According to Dr Maizah Mohd Abdullah, Marine Biology Program Lecturer and Associate Researcher at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, the sighting is significant as such a whale has never been reported in the area before.
Dr Maizah noted that while it is hard to confirm the whale’s species due to the short video, which doesn’t show the animal’s head or tail, the dorsal fin suggests that it is a humpback whale.
“This species can be found in deep waters around the world, but the closest population to Malaysian waters is the Western North Pacific area,” she told Harian Metro.
The expert further explained that this population of humpback whales reportedly breed in the waters around Okinawa, Japan and the Philippines.
She added:
There have been sightings in Malaysia in the waters off Pangkor in Perak and Miri in Sarawak.
Image courtesy of Unsplash for illustrative purposes only
Dr Maizah stated that there was no sufficient evidence that Terengganu waters serve as a migration route for humpback whales, as this is the first known sighting near Redang Island.
Consequently, there exists no scientific data on the location of the humpback whale passage near the island.
However, the expert clarified that the passage of humpback whales near Redang Island is not impossible as it is close to the Western North Pacific waters which is a habitat for the species.
Dr Maizah urged the public to report any sightings of humpback whales or other marine mammals to relevant authorities.
This is so data can be collected and changes in the migration patterns of these endangered marine species can be monitored.
Dr Maizah highlighted:
The emergence of charismatic marine mammals such as the humpback whale gives the message that no matter where we are, every member of society needs to work together to protect the sustainability of our oceans.
Finally, the expert also advised the public to exercise caution when engaging in water activities near the area and to maintain a safe distance if they encounter any marine mammals.
Also read: Whale upstages athletes by jumping out of water during Olympic surfing event in Tahiti
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Featured image adapted from @akihiro_san28 on TikTok
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