Humpback sightings fall 60% as weakened seabirds reach Australia’s east

Something unusual may be unfolding in the Southern Ocean. In late June, whale watchers in southwest Western Australia reported a sharp drop in humpback whale sightings, around 60% below normal, just when the whales should have been migrating north to calve and feed. A week later, birdwatchers on Australia’s east coast began spotting rare albatrosses and petrels far from their usual Southern Ocean feeding grounds, with many of the birds appearing weak or in poor condition, according to a report by Phys.org.At first glance, those two events might seem unrelated. But together, they raise a bigger question: are changing ocean conditions pushing marine life off course?A cold ocean that’s running hotThe Southern Ocean is usually one of the coldest marine environments on Earth, but it is not immune to warming.