The New England Aquarium's aerial ocean survey team has just caught sight of a gray whale species thought to be extinct for more than 200 years.
The gray whale appeared on March 5 off the coast of Nantucket, an island in the state of Massachusetts, in the New England region (USA). Researchers estimated that it weighed 27,200 kg.
Gray whales were found mainly in the North Pacific Ocean , they disappeared from the Atlantic Ocean in the 18th century.
Orla O'Brien, one of the researchers who discovered the whale, said she was "amazed" by the creature's journey.
“Somehow this whale made it across Alaska and the Arctic to the Atlantic,” O'Brien explained.
A gray whale was discovered off the coast of Nantucket (USA). Photo: NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM
Scientists were initially unsure whether the whale they saw was a gray whale. Gray whales do not have dorsal fins, but they do have a hump on their back with a distinct ridge. They have gray skin with white spots.
The gray whale kept diving and coming up close to the surface, scientists believe it was looking for food. They flew a helicopter over the area for 45 minutes to film and photograph this rare creature.
The appearance of an animal species thought to have disappeared more than 200 years ago surprised the research team.
Previously, there were five reported sightings of creatures suspected to be gray whales in the Atlantic and Mediterranean Seas over the past 15 years.
In December 2023, scientists saw a suspected gray whale off the coast of Florida (USA). It is very likely that it is the same whale discovered on March 5.
Besides the excitement, the whale's appearance also worries scientists because its appearance is likely due to global warming.
They say the Northwest Passage, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Canadian Arctic, has lost a lot of summer ice in recent years. That means gray whales can swim through the passage in the summer when they normally can't. So the gray whale in New England is a sign of how marine life is changing in response to climate change.
Gray whales are distinguished from other whales by their lack of a dorsal fin and their mottled skin, which makes them completely different from the humpback and minke whales commonly found in New England. Their calls are also very different. While humpbacks are known for their haunting “songs,” gray whales make grunting, complaining noises.
Gray whales were hunted almost to extinction during the era of the whaling trade. Today, they have recovered enough to be considered “least endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), although the organization still classifies the Asian population as threatened.
Minh Hoa (t/h)
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