A critically endangered North Atlantic right whale that was spotted in Irish waters last year has been resighted 3,000 miles away off the coast of Boston, Massachusetts.
Members of the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) Right Whale Ecology Program saw the animal during an aerial survey. It was their first right whale sighting of the year so they took photo documentation.
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They couldn’t match the individual with any whales in their database so they consulted with other experts. “We're excited to discover the first ever photo-ID match between Ireland and the US East Coast,” says Lindsey Jones, a scientist in the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center who manages the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalogue.
The right whale had previously been seen in Ireland in July 2024 – the first such sighting in 114 years. Now, the same whale has made a splash with its epic journey to the States.
"But where else would one expect to find a right whale with Irish connections if not off Boston?” says Pádraig Whooley, sightings officer at the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group.
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Top image credit: Center for Coastal Studies, NOAA permit #<>25740-02
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