Oceans · Species exploration · Source checked October 13, 2026

The ocean’s long-distance travelers

What does a 3,000-mile migration ask of a whale?

Original editorial illustration; not a scientific image or measured diagram.

The story

Some humpback whales migrate between Alaska and Hawaiʻi. NOAA reports that they can complete a journey of about 3,000 miles in as few as 28 days. A journey average can help us compare migrations, but it cannot show every pause, detour, or burst of speed.

Read the source: NOAA Fisheries · Humpback whale ↗

Explore the evidence

Published reference: approximately 3,000 miles in 28 days. For the tasks, assume exactly these values. A constant daily pace is a classroom model, not a measured whale track.

Choose your way in

Allow 15–25 minutes. Work in your binder: show calculations, label units, and explain what your result means. Read the story first; choose a task with your teacher.

Break up the journeyGrade 6 · Division and fractions

At the end of one quarter of a 3,000-mile route, how far has the whale traveled? How far remains? At a constant modeled pace, how many days is one quarter of 28 days?

A hint

List the known quantities and their units. Identify the quantity you need. Use a sketch, table, or equation to connect them.

Check your reasoning · Open after an attempt

750 miles traveled; 2,250 miles remain; 7 days. The constant-pace assumption is essential.

Find the averageGrade 7 · Unit rates

Find average miles per day and per hour over the entire trip. Round to the nearest tenth. Explain why neither answer tells us a whale’s swimming speed at any particular moment.

A hint

List the known quantities and their units. Identify the quantity you need. Use a sketch, table, or equation to connect them.

Check your reasoning · Open after an attempt

Approximately 107.1 miles/day and 4.5 miles/hour. Total elapsed time includes changing speeds and possible pauses.

Model what remainsGrade 8 Algebra 1 · Linear functions

Let d be days since departure. Write a linear model for miles remaining, R(d). Give its practical domain, intercepts, and slope. Find R(14). Name a limitation.

A hint

List the known quantities and their units. Identify the quantity you need. Use a sketch, table, or equation to connect them.

Check your reasoning · Open after an attempt

R(d) = 3000 − (3000/28)d, with 0 ≤ d ≤ 28. Intercepts: (0,3000), (28,0); slope ≈ −107.1 miles/day; R(14)=1500. Actual movement is not constant.

Look beyond the answer

Which number or assumption most affects your conclusion? What additional evidence would make your answer more useful?