Arabian Sea humpback whales are generally resident in the Arabian Sea year-round rather than making the familiar seasonal journey between tropical breeding grounds and high-latitude feeding grounds. The best-documented habitat is along Oman’s coast, especially the Gulf of Masirah and Hallaniyat Bay/Dhofar. Some whales do travel much farther within the region: a 2026 satellite-tracking study documented one female’s round trip between Oman and India, but that single track does not establish a regular population-wide migration.
Where do Arabian Sea humpback whales live?
The clearest, most sustained evidence comes from Oman’s Arabian Sea coast. Surveys, photo-identification, acoustic work and satellite tags have documented whales in the Gulf of Masirah and Hallaniyat Bay/Dhofar. Tracked ranges also extend along the western Arabian Sea coasts of northern Yemen and southern Oman. The 2026 telemetry study identifies the Gulf of Masirah as a core area. Willson et al., 2026; IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force.
Oman’s principal documented areas
- Gulf of Masirah: Strongly associated with feeding, though feeding and breeding-related behavior have both been documented there.
- Hallaniyat Bay/Dhofar: Particularly associated with reproductive activity, with feeding behavior also recorded.
These are the best-supported Omani habitat areas, not the only places the whales may occur. Evidence for the areas’ relative importance as calving habitat is less conclusive because calf sightings are limited. The Oman Arabian Sea IMMA factsheet.
A wider range, with uneven evidence
Records and research indicate that Arabian Sea humpbacks also occur in waters off India and Pakistan. Tracking confirms that at least some whales move between Oman and India, but the frequency of such movements across the population is unknown. The IUCN Red List assessment published in 2008 describes research as concentrated in Oman and evidence elsewhere at that time as limited or incidental. A reported range should therefore not be mistaken for equally thorough surveys throughout every country or sea. IUCN Red List assessment; IUCN SSC Cetacean Specialist Group.
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Do Arabian Sea humpback whales migrate?
At the population level, the best-supported description is year-round residency in the Arabian Sea. This is unusual for humpbacks, many populations of which make long seasonal journeys between high-latitude feeding areas and lower-latitude breeding areas. Arabian Sea whales use the same broad region for feeding and reproduction rather than following that typical pole-to-tropics pattern. Historical observations throughout the year and photo-identification resightings support the residency interpretation. Willson et al., 2026; IUCN Red List assessment.
“Resident” describes the broad population pattern; it does not mean every whale remains in one small bay or never moves far. In the 2026 study, researchers tracked 13 whales using 14 successful satellite tags deployed from 2014 to 2017; one male was tagged twice. One tagged female made an estimated round trip of more than 5,000 km between the Gulf of Masirah and India’s Gulf of Mannar. The study calls this direct evidence of cross-Arabian Sea travel in its tracking record. An earlier account of the whale Luban also reported a tracked Oman-to-India crossing in 2017–2018. Together, these observations establish long-distance movement by individuals, not a recurring migration schedule for the population. Willson et al., 2026; IUCN SSC Cetacean Specialist Group, 2018.
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When are breeding-related movements observed?
Reproductive activity has seasonal timing even though the population is generally present in the Arabian Sea year-round. The 2026 study’s Hallaniyat Bay surveys in February and March coincided with the peak breeding season described by the authors and cited prior work. Its November surveys in the Gulf of Masirah aligned with an early phase. These are study-informed seasonal patterns, not guarantees that whales will be visible in a particular place or month. Willson et al., 2026.
What do tracking studies reveal about habitat use?
The 2026 telemetry analysis found area-restricted-search behavior concentrated in shallow continental-shelf areas, while whales tended to transit farther offshore. Such movement patterns can help identify places whales use intensively, but the tags did not directly confirm feeding events. The tracked search areas coincided with places considered productive for prey, so a search pattern should not be reported as proof that a whale fed at that location. Willson et al., 2026.
How many Arabian Sea humpback whales are there?
The 2026 telemetry paper reports an estimate of 82 individuals off Oman, with a 95% confidence interval of 60–111. This is the mark-recapture estimate from the 2008 IUCN assessment, not a new 2026 census and not a precise count of every whale across the broader suspected range. The Arabian Sea subpopulation is listed as Endangered. Willson et al., 2026; IUCN Red List assessment.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What risks affect the whales?
Whale movements overlap with fishing and shipping activity. Conservation sources identify fishing-gear entanglement, vessel strikes, underwater noise and coastal development as pressures. The 2026 study notes that the scale and effects of these threats are not fully quantified, so their presence should not be confused with a complete measure of population-level impact. Willson et al., 2026; IUCN SSC Cetacean Specialist Group; Oman Arabian Sea IMMA factsheet.
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