Scientists Spot Rare Sperm Whale Duo Near Cape Cod

MASSACHUSETTS — New England Aquarium scientists took a recent aerial survey of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. That isn't abnormal, but one of the species they saw during the survey was.

During the survey, New England Aquarium scientists saw an endangered sperm whale adult and calf, a first for the survey team in six years of flights to the Monument, and a notable sighting among 324 marine animals spotted during the five-hour flight, officials said.

The 5,000-square-mile Monument, located about 130 miles east/southeast of Cape Cod, is the only marine national monument in the U.S. Atlantic Ocean.

“As scientists who have flown aerial surveys for years, we never take for granted how exciting it is to see whales, sharks, and dolphins in the wild, particularly an endangered sperm whale calf. It’s a reminder of the rich biodiversity of animals that use the Monument,” said Sharon Hsu, a research technician with the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium.

Among the animals the team spotted on Oct. 19 were: 117 bottlenose dolphins, four fin whales, 27 Risso’s dolphins, two humpback whales, 15 ocean sunfish, 150 common dolphins, one True’s beaked whale, four unidentified beaked whales, and three sperm whales—including the adult and calf pair.

While it's possible that the whale pair could have been a mother and offspring, officials note that Sperm whales exhibit maternal-like interactions, meaning that adults other than the mother may occasionally take care of calves, including nursing them.