Photo by Josh Withers, via Unsplash
Nantucket, a small island off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts,
houses summer-time tourists, beautiful coastlines, and nationally
recognized lighthouses. About two months ago on March 1st, The New
England Aquarium and local news stations released footage and
aerial surveillance of a rare gray whale feeding and diving about 30
miles off the coast of Nantucket. While whale sightings are not a rare
occurrence for Long Island Sound, the resurfacing of this species of
whale in the Atlantic Ocean that was considered extinct is a
remarkable phenomenon, but holds a darker meaning of climate
change fury.
The gray whale were once found commonly throughout the Northern
Hemisphere, but now consider the North Pacific Ocean their home.
They can grow up to about 49 feet in length and normally travel alone
or in unstable, small groups due to the rare occurrence of life-long
bonds between these whales. Gray whales are bottom feeders that
can digest a wide range of sea-floor invertebrates, filtering food out
of the ocean floor’s sedimentation. This species was once considered
endangered up until 1994, when they successfully recovered and were
delisted by the ESA and are now considered stable. However, due to
recent climate change activities and changing Arctic Ocean
conditions, die-offs have been occurring more often - the most
recent starting in 2019 and is currently ongoing. These threats are
greatly affecting their population sizes, with reductions of up to 25%
just over a few years. The availability of their food has become low,
and their ability to access normal feeding spots throughout the
Pacific has diminished; this will shock the gray whale population
Not only this, The Northwest Passage, which connects the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans through the Arctic Ocean, is normally blocked by
glacial distribution but has been consistently ice-free throughout the
summertime due to global warming and rising temperatures. The
melting ice opens a water passage to species, such as the gray
whale, that will be able to “potentially travel the Passage in the
summer, something that wouldn’t have been possible in the previous
century”, according to The New England Aquarium’s press release.
While the gray whales are regularly seen in the North Pacific, there
have been about a half dozen sightings of gray whales in the Atlantic
since 2010 - indicating that this Arctic sea bridge has already begun
to alter the population of gray whales, and possibly other species.
Other possible disturbances to this species include vessel strikes and
habitat degradation, which has been on the rise over the past few
decades due to the increase in demand for offshore oil and gas
development, as well as pipelines and man-made structures.
So, what is in store for this beautiful creature of the sea? The Atlantic
population of gray whales was hunted to extinction by the 18th
century, but with the opening of the passage combined with global
warming activity heavily impacting marine life, there is uncertainty
on what will happen to the existence of this species. There is no
evidence of a breeding population right now in the Atlantic Ocean,
but according to Philip Hamilton, a senior scientist at the Anderson
Cabot Center, “the sighting represents another example of what
climate change over the long term could look like and “shows that
What can you do if you happen upon a gray whale? Make sure you
keep your distance from the creature, giving at least a safe
perimeter of 100 yards. If the whale seems to be in distress or
deceased, make sure to contact professional and local scientists who
are trained and ready to respond. Watch your speed when on the
water, and be whale-aware of their habitats and where they spend
their daily life!
Citations
Fee, J. (2024, March 6). Gray Whale Spotted off Nantucket. On the Water; On The Water. https://www.onthewater.com/gra... Gray whales experience major population swings as a result of Arctic conditions, research shows. (2023, October 12).
Life at OSU; Oregon State University. https://today.oregonstate.edu/... Lenthang, M. (2024, March 6). Rare gray whale, extinct in the Atlantic for 200 years, spotted near Nantucket. NBC News; NBC UNIVERSAL. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/u...
McCarron, H. (2024, March 6). Rare gray whale seen off Nantucket is good and bad news, says Cape whale expert. Cape Cod Times; www.capecodtimes.com. https://www.capecodtimes.com/s...
NOAA Fisheries. (2019). Gray Whale | NOAA Fisheries. Noaa.gov; NOAA. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov...
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