Scientists Spot Endangered Blue Whales Off Massachusetts Coast

Researchers from the New England Aquarium reported spotting two blue whales about 15 miles south of Martha's Vineyard during an aerial survey on Saturday, Feb. 28. According to a CBS Boston WBZ-TV report, the aquarium team had never encountered a blue whale in the southern New England survey area before.

On Friday, Feb. 27, researchers also reported a blue whale sighting in Lydonia Canyon, approximately 170 miles to the southeast of Nantucket.

"Seeing blue whales outside of their Canadian feeding grounds is rare in the Atlantic," aquarium scientist Katherine McKenna, who participated in both survey flights, said in a statement shared with CBS Boston. "Finding them in two different areas of the ocean just 24 hours apart was a first for us."

The blue whale population is estimated at 400 to 600 individuals. According to the researchers, blue whales can grow to approximately 90 feet long and weigh more than 100,000 pounds.

Experts say favorable oceanographic conditions for feeding in southern New England waters could explain the sightings. They noted that since blue whales travel widely, each sighting is valuable for understanding their winter and spring movements.

"I think it's likely that climate change plays a role in the distribution of these animals, meaning where we see them or where they are going," said aquarium scientist Orla O'Brien.

During a research survey conducted over the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, researchers reported more than 300 animal sightings. These sightings included three endangered fin whales, three endangered sperm whales, 50 pilot whales, and hundreds of dolphins.

According to CBS Boston, the sightings occurred in an area where the Trump Administration revoked Obama-era restrictions on commercial fishing. The New England Aquarium stated that removing these restrictions puts endangered whales and other marine species at risk.