Gray whales, an animal thought to have been extinct in the Atlantic Ocean since the 1700s, suddenly appeared near Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, USA.
Gray whales swim in the waters near Nantucket Island, Atlantic Ocean, on March 1. Image: New England Aquarium
Although they thrive in the Pacific, gray whales have been absent from the Atlantic since the 1700s. However, the New England Aquarium's aerial survey team discovered a gray whale on March 1 near the island. Nantucket, Massachusetts, USA, and took pictures as it continuously dipped and surfaced, Newsweek reported on March 5. The aquarium said it is possible that this gray whale also appeared in Florida late last year.
Climate change may be the reason why gray whales show signs of returning to the Atlantic. The whale on March 1 may have passed through the Northwest Passage - a route that passes through the Arctic Ocean, connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Global warming leaves the Northwest Passage ice-free in the summer, providing a free route for gray whales to swim into the Atlantic.
“The new findings highlight the importance of surveys. We expected to see humpback whales, smooth whales, fin whales, but the ocean is a fluctuating ecosystem and you never know what you'll find. The presence of gray whales in the Atlantic shows how quickly marine species respond to climate change when given the opportunity,” Orla O'Brien, scientist at the Anderson Center for Ocean Biology Cabot of the New England Aquarium, said.
Warmer ocean waters cause climate experts to worry about many problems such as stronger storms, destruction of coral reefs and melting sea ice. Climate change also significantly impacts whale species other than gray whales. For example, North Atlantic right whales, a critically endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List, are getting smaller as the warming climate reduces their food intake. rare.
Thu Thao (Follow Newsweek)
