| Summary: | We report three cases of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) photographed off the Antarctic Peninsula during the austral summer 2015, that were previously observed off the coast of Salinas, Santa Elena, Ecuador. Once again, we confirm the connectivity between humpback whales breeding on the coast of Ecuador with those feeding on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. The minimum distance between both sites is 7,200 km. The timespan in one case was 12 years and five months. Our findings demonstrate the importance of long-term studies for long-lived species such as humpback whales, and the use of every available research platform to improve our knowledge of these species and their environment. We recommend the Ecuadorian Antarctic Institute includes marine mammals as a research topic. This will help to improve our understanding of the role of these species in the Antarctic ecosystem and promote their study and conservation, in compliance with international agreements adopted by Ecuador. We also recommend that tourist companies operating in the Antarctic contribute photographs to research programs such as those run by the Whale Museum of Salinas Presentamos tres casos de ballenas jorobadas (Megaptera novaeangliae) fotografiadas en aguas de la península Antártica durante el verano austral de 2015, que fueron previamente registradas frente a la costa de Salinas, Santa Elena, Ecuador. Se confirma, una vez más, la conectividad entre las ballenas jorobadas que se reproducen en la costa de Ecuador con las que se alimentan en el lado occidental de la península Antártica. La distancia mínima entre ambos sitios es de 7,200 km. El período máximo transcurrido entre los re-avistamientos en uno de los casos fue de 12 años y cinco meses. Nuestro hallazgo demuestra la importancia de realizar estudios de largo plazo para especies de larga vida como las ballenas jorobadas y de utilizar cada plataforma de investigación disponible para mejorar nuestro conocimiento de estas especies y su ambiente. Recomendamos al ...
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