Rare Right Whales Spotted In Cape Cod Bay

PROVINCETOWN, MA — There are only about 500 North Atlantic right whales left on the planet. This week, 15 of the ocean behemoths were spotted in Cape Cod Bay — an encouraging sign for the species' continued survival. The sightings were recorded during an flyover by the Center for Coastal Studies, a Provincetown-based nonprofit.

Right whales, which grow up to 50 feet long and 80 tons, are drawn to Cape Cod Bay every winter to feed on zooplankton. Propeller strikes and fishing gear entanglements are huge threats to right whales, which are categorized as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Federal law prohibit vessels from coming within 500 yards of right whales.

In 2016, a right whale calf was killed by a boat propeller strike off Cape Cod.

North Atlantic right whales were nearly hunted to extinction in the 1800s. There are signs of hope, however, as the population has nearly doubled since its 1992 level of 295, according to a 2016 report in Frontiers in Marine Science.

"Right whales are not yet a conservation success story," the report's authors wrote. "Right whales need immediate and significant management intervention to reduce mortalities and injuries from fishing gear, and managers need a better understanding about the causes of reduced calving rates before this species can be considered on the road to recovery. Failure to act on this new information will lead to further declines in this population's number and increase its vulnerability to extinction."

Previous

• Right Whale Calf Killed By Boat Propeller Strike off Cape Cod - May 6, 2016
• Rare Right Whales Appear In Cape Cod Bay - January 25, 2017
• 10 Right Whales Spotted in Cape Cod Bay - April 22, 2016

Photo: North Atlantic right whales spotted in Cape Cod Bay January 16, 2018. (Credit: Center for Coastal Studies)