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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Mar. Sci.

Sec. Marine Megafauna

Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1604106

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) maturity and body condition in Ireland, Norway and Cabo Verde based on UAS photogrammetry data

Provisionally accepted
Miguel BlázquezMiguel Blázquez1*Nick MassettNick Massett2Seán O'CallaghanSeán O'Callaghan1Marcus HoganMarcus Hogan2Pedro López SuárezPedro López Suárez3Katia Freire LopesKatia Freire Lopes3Pádraig WhooleyPádraig Whooley2Joanne O’BrienJoanne O’Brien1,2Frederick WenzelFrederick Wenzel4Ian O'ConnorIan O'Connor1Simon D. BerrowSimon D. Berrow1,2
  • 1School of Science and Computing, Atlantic Technological University, Galway, Ireland
  • 2Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), Kilrush, Ireland
  • 3BIOS Cabo Verde, Sal Rei, Boa Vista, Cabo Verde
  • 4College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine, United States

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Animal morphometrics are essential to understand a species life history, as well as the ecological relationships of the species and the environment. This study explored humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) maturity and body condition across the Northeast Atlantic using Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) photogrammetry. We used morphometric data collected in Ireland, Norway and Cabo Verde between 2022 and 2024. Body length, condition metrics and their associated uncertainty were estimated using Bayesian modelling. Photogrammetric measurements provided insights into maturity status, migratory behaviors, and habitat use. We observed a positive correlation between body length and offshore habitat preferences in Irish waters, with shorter (younger) individuals demonstrating a preference for waters closer to the shore, potentially increasing exposure to anthropogenic pressures. Moreover, the findings indicated geographical and temporal variations in body condition. Humpback whales in Irish waters showed intra-seasonal improvement in body condition both at the population and individual level, corroborating the importance of Ireland as a feeding ground in the Northeast Atlantic. This study underscores the value of UAS photogrammetry in advancing the understanding of humpback whale ecology in understudied regions, providing relevant information for species conservation and management.

Keywords: Humpback Whale, UAS, Photogrammetry, body length, body condition, Ireland, Cabo Verde, Norway

Received: 01 Apr 2025; Accepted: 14 Oct 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Blázquez, Massett, O'Callaghan, Hogan, López Suárez, Freire Lopes, Whooley, O’Brien, Wenzel, O'Connor and Berrow. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Miguel Blázquez, miguel.blazquezhervas@research.atu.ie

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Supplementary Material