Much about the species remains a mystery, but scientists are one step closer to solving the little 'enigmas'. 9News
The pygmy right whale is the smallest of the characteristically large filter-feeding baleen whales and is rarely sighted.
"What's especially surprising is it turns out these whales are somewhat a resident species, given they appear to be hanging around Australia year-round."Researchers came to the discovery by analysing the baleen plates of 14 Australian pygmy right whales, loaned from the South Australian Museum.The key to solving the puzzle lay in what the animals eat, Professor Tracey Rogers, a marine ecologist at UNSW Science and senior author of the study, said.
"These signals don't decay over time, so it's like reading a history book about their behaviour, including what they ate and the general area they were in at the time.From these isotopic records, it was concluded the species likes to hang around the mid-latitude waters year-round off southern Australia, feeding on krill and small crustaceans.
"This makes sense when you look at the slender structures of their baleen plates relative to their body size."
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