© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WECS · WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM · WVOF
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Scientists report high level of whale activity off Maine coast this fall

The New England Aquarium's aerial survey team spotted right whale "Pediddle" and her 10-month-old calf foraging in the Gulf of Maine.
Courtesy of the New England Aquarium, taken under National Marine Fisheries Service permit #25739
The New England Aquarium's aerial survey team spotted right whale "Pediddle" and her 10-month-old calf foraging in the Gulf of Maine.

Several North Atlantic right whales have been spotted in the Gulf of Maine in recent weeks, including a mother and her 10-month-old calf. The New England Aquarium said it also recently sighted a third right whale about 35 miles southeast of Portland.

The aquarium is reporting the appearance of dozens of humpback whales and endangered fin whales in the Gulf of Maine this fall, along with an endangered blue whale just south of Boothbay.

“The amount of wildlife we’ve seen feeding has really been quite astounding," Orla O'Brien, a scientist who leads the aerial survey team for the New England Aquarium, said in a statement. "From fin whales lunge feeding on krill, to right whales and basking sharks skim feeding side by side, to groups of humpbacks, pods of dolphins and a blue whale — all brought here by a large amount of prey in the Gulf of Maine."

The locations of critically endangered right whales are of interest to scientists, because warming waters in the northern Atlantic Ocean have changed the species' traditional distribution patterns.

Federal officials have implemented a voluntary slow zone for mariners east of Portland due to the presence of critically endangered right whales. The slow zone is in place through Nov. 28.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content