The voyage of a whale across the Pacific Ocean is apparently the longest ever recorded in terms of migration by any mammal, scientists confirm.

The female gray whale completed a round trip of 22,500 kilometers or almost 14,000 miles starting from the Russian east coast, reaching the breeding grounds in Mexico then returning home.

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The gray whale is considered an endangered species and U.S. and Russian biologists believe the whale population found in the western region of the Pacific could now be extinct.

Scientists have always believed there were two distinct groups of gray whales: the Eastern gray whale indigenous to the western coast in North America and the critically endangered Western gray whale found in the eastern coast of Asia.

These new findings were obtained from seven whales from Russia tagged by scientists. These whales travelled across the North Pacific to reach the breeding grounds near Mexico suggest these majestic creatures could also be part of the same population. 

This study includes a female gray whale called Varvara that made this record breaking migration across the world.

According to lead researcher Bruce Mate from the Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute, these whales were certainly born in Mexico, meaning they originate from the eastern North Pacific region. This would also suggest these two populations are one and the same but some believe Western gray whales are still in existence but not as many as previously thought.

Despite this dwindling population, the gray whale can still be found in shallow waters near coastal regions of the northern Pacific Ocean. These colossal creatures came dangerously close to extinction because of whaling during the last century.

According to the International Whaling Commission, the Western gray whale remained at its lowest populations with only 180 left while the eastern whale population recovered to 20,000 in number.

This new research along with other evidence such as genetic fingerprints and photo identifications now suggests the two populations could be closely related or even the same.

Scientists believe the Western gray whales could now be extinct as the Eastern gray whales are migrating farther away from their usual breeding grounds. Further investigation will be carried out by the IWC to confirm if the Western population still thrives.

Also, the threat of new oil industries in eastern Russia can pose a threat to the gray whales in the region, scientists say.

This study was published in the journal, Biology Letters.

TagsMajestic Gray Whale Travels Record Breaking 14, 000 miles Across the World, gray whales, endangered species, migration of whales, gray whale migration