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40m ago

Cape Cod Bay Sees Record January Count of 33 Right Whales

Researchers say the unusually large winter gathering underscores Cape Cod Bay's role as critical habitat for the endangered species.

Image
A North Atlantic Right Whale sounds while feeding on plankton in Cape Cod Bay, off the coast of Provincetown. A team from the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, was researching the right whale’s food supply today during their migration north.
A North Atlantic right whale with calf. Image via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).
North Atlantic right whales "Batman" and "Dune" spotted south of Nantucket last week. (New England Aquarium photo credit)

Overview

  • Observers with the Center for Coastal Studies counted 33 North Atlantic right whales in a single aerial survey on Saturday, the most recorded there on any January day.
  • The whales were seen mostly in shallow subsurface feeding rather than the surface active groups more typical for early winter.
  • The tally included a rarely seen male known as EgNo 1050, estimated to be 45 years old and documented only once in the past 15 years.
  • A calf first identified in Cape Cod Bay last year was also among the whales spotted during the flight.
  • Scientists highlight the bay's importance for the critically endangered population, estimated at about 384 last fall, with vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglement cited as major threats.