Endangered Right Whales Appear in Cape Cod Waters

PROVINCETOWN, MA — A pair of endangered North Atlantic right whales made a rare appearance in Cape Cod waters Thursday.

The whales were spotted off Provincetown Thursday by an aerial team from the Center for Coastal Studies.

North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered; there are only about 525 left in the wild.

Thursday’s sightings, however, were a good sign for the whale’s increasing numbers, as a few years ago they numbered only about 450.

The whales grow up to 55 feet long and can live up to 100 years. They face numerous threats, including boat strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, sharks, and killer whales. Their habitat stretches from Florida north to Nova Scotia.

Photo: Brian Skerry via World Wildlife Fund

The Center for Coastal Studies is one of several organizations that track and protect the whales. There are also federal restrictions for boat speeds in areas where whales congregate to help prevent strikes.

There’s even an app called Whale Alert that notifies boats if whales are near.

Top photo: NOAA.gov