Extremely rare sea creatures — about 20% of ‘entire population’ — feed off Maine coast
Over 75 extremely rare sea creatures — about “20% of the entire population” — were spotted off the Maine coast, photos show.
Aerial surveys over the Gulf of Maine captured the group of North Atlantic right whales spread out this week across 10 miles, many of them feeding deep below the surface, the New England Aquarium said on Facebook on Thursday, Jan. 16.
That’s a “high number of whales for this area of the ocean in wintertime,” the aquarium said in a news release.
The whales were just off the western edge of Jeffreys Ledge, “a raised underwater area along the coast of New Hampshire and Maine that brings whales, fish and fishers together,” officials said. Smaller groups of right whales have been spotted there in the past, usually during the fall, the aquarium said.
The aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life aerial survey team spotted the group, and officials implemented a “voluntary slow zone” for boats and other vessels in the area to reduce the risk of striking the whales, the aquarium said in the post.
“From the plane, we could see right whales in all directions: at the surface, swimming, and diving,” said Kate Laemmle, an associate research technician in the Anderson Cabot Center who participated in the aerial survey flights. “Seeing such a high percentage of the population in one place, at one time, was a profound and exciting experience.”
Surveyors also recorded fishing gear in the area, putting the whales at risk of entanglement, the aquarium said.
“The team identified several individuals, including ‘Nimbus,’ who has previously suffered a severe entanglement in fishing gear,” the aquarium said. “While the whales were in an area where fishing is permitted, seeing a previously entangled whale close to allowed gear highlights how often right whales encounter human activity in the ocean.”
The team has recorded “several large right whale aggregations in areas or at times where we didn’t quite expect them” over the last year, said Orla O’Brien, a research scientist who leads the aerial surveys. “This puts into perspective the dynamic nature of the whales’ movements and highlights the strong need for measures that can reduce the risk of vessel strikes and entanglement.”
The entire population of North Atlantic right whales is about 370 with about 70 breeding females, officials said. Boat strikes and entanglement are the top threats to the critically endangered species.
This story was originally published January 16, 2025 at 3:31 PM with the headline "Extremely rare sea creatures — about 20% of ‘entire population’ — feed off Maine coast."
