More than 160 whales spotted in waters off Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, NOAA reports
The "dazzling array of sightings" came during a recent aerial survey by researchers with NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has reported a total of 161 whales spotted off Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, in what researchers called a “dazzling array of sightings” during a recent aerial survey. The North Atlantic Right Whale team reported sightings of seven species, including 93 sei whales, 35 humpback whales, 21 fin whales, minke, sperm, and North Atlantic right whales. The research team also reported seeing two killer whales, which they don't often see during this survey. Sei whales are listed as endangered and often found with pollack in the waters near Norway. NOAA estimates that approximately 360 of these whales are left in ocean waters, including fewer than 70 reproductively active females.
ที่ตีพิมพ์ : 10 เดือนที่แล้ว โดย Nick Stoico ใน Science
More than 160 whales were spotted in the waters off Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket in what researchers called a “dazzling array of sightings” during a recent aerial survey. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shared pictures of the whales in a social media post on Monday. The agency said members of its North Atlantic Right Whale team reported sightings of 161 whales that comprised of seven species, including 93 sei whales, “one of the highest concentrations of sei whales they’d ever seen during a single survey flight.” The research team also reported seeing two killer whales, “which they don’t often see during this survey,” the NOAA post said. One of the killer whales was seen swimming with its dinner as a tuna dangled from its mouth.
Researchers spotted 161 whales south of Martha's Vineyard and southeast of Nantucket during a recent aerial survey. One whale (lower left) swam with a tuna in its jaws. The sightings also included 35 humpback whales, 21 fin whales, as well as minke, sperm, and North Atlantic right whales, NOAA said. Sei whales, which are listed as endangered, are often found with pollack in the waters near Norway and get their name from the Norwegian word for pollack, “seje,” according to NOAA. The total population of sei whales is unknown. The North Atlantic right whale remains at risk of extinction, with approximately 360 left in ocean waters, including fewer than 70 reproductively active females, according to NOAA. The sperm whale and fin whale, as well as segments of the humpback whale and killer whale populations, are also listed as endangered. Minke whales are not endangered but are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to NOAA. Researchers spotted 161 whales south of Martha's Vineyard and southeast of Nantucket during a recent aerial survey. Researchers spotted 161 whales south of Martha's Vineyard and southeast of Nantucket during a recent aerial survey. Nick Stoico can be reached at [email protected].