Gray Whale Spotted In Massachusetts 200 Years After Species Extinction

Scientists have confirmed the presence of a whale off New England that became extinct in the Atlantic Ocean two centuries ago-an intriguing discovery that demonstrates the influence of climate change on sea life.

Sightings Of Gray Whale

On March 1, researchers from the Boston-based New England Aquarium discovered the gray whale while flying 30 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts.

The gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) was thought to be extinct as the species has not been seen in over 200 years.

The gray whale is distinguished by its mottled gray color and enormous size, with females reaching 49 feet (15 meters) in length and weighing an average of 90,000 pounds (41,000 kilograms).

It lacks a dorsal fin and instead bears a dorsal hump on its lower back, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The gray whale disappeared from the Atlantic Ocean in the 18th century, but the aquarium reported five sightings of the animal in Atlantic and Mediterranean waters in the last 15 years. The whale discovered this month is most likely the same species that was observed near Florida late last year.

The researchers who discovered the animal off Massachusetts were initially doubtful, but after 45 minutes of circling the region, they were able to obtain images that showed it was a gray whale.

The animal, which appeared to be hunting, "dove and resurfaced," allowing passengers on the plane to picture the whale in action.

"I didn't want to say out loud what it was, because it seemed crazy," said Orla O'Brien, an associate research scientist with the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium.

Global Warming

Scientists were happy to observe the species, but its presence is most likely due to global warming.

The North-West Passage, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Arctic Ocean in Canada, has been ice-free in recent years, according to reports.

Gray whales' species range is normally limited by the extent of sea ice because the whales cannot break through the thick winter ice that regularly bars the passage, but now they can move through the tunnel during the summer.

O'Brien stated that the animal's appearance off New England "serves as a reminder of how quickly marine species respond to climate change, given the chance."

Leigh Torres, a marine scientist at Oregon State University who has documented gray whale sightings in the Atlantic, believes this might be "both a good and a bad thing."

It's positive that whales may travel more freely from the Pacific to the Atlantic, she added, but problematic "if gray whales are venturing to the Atlantic in search of food" due to a significant drop in prey in the Pacific.

Gray whales were nearly wiped out during the commercial whaling era.

Today, the whales have recovered to the point where the International Union for Conservation of Nature deems them a "least concern" species, while the organization considers the western population of the whales that reside off Asia to be endangered.