Record 112 Endangered Right Whales In Cape Cod Bay

TRURO, MA — There appears to be some hope for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. There are just 524 of the ocean behemoths remaining — and on Sunday, nearly a quarter of the population was spotted in Cape Cod Bay. The Provincetown-based Center for Coastal Studies, which reported the sightings, called it "exceptional."

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The North Atlantic right whale population stretches from Nova Scotia down to Georgia. The whales were nearly hunted into extinction in the 1800s and in 1935 most countries agreed to stop hunting them. Their population plummeted to an estimated 295 in 1992.

The coastal studies center on Wednesday also announced researchers spotted a previously undocumented mother and calf near Truro.

“This is incredibly exciting” said Charles “Stormy” Mayo, director of the center’s Right Whale Ecology program, said in a statement. “Our colleagues in the southeast US saw only three new right whale calves this season, so for us to identify a fourth addition to this critically endangered population is great news.”

Right whales, which grow up to 50 feet long and 80 tons, are drawn to Cape Cod Bay to feed on zooplankton. Propeller strikes and fishing gear entanglements are huge threats to whales, which are categorized as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In May 2016, a right whale calf was found dead off Chatham from a boat propeller strike. Federal law prohibit vessels from coming within 500 yards of right whales.

Related

• Rare Right Whales Appear In Cape Cod Bay
• Endangered Right Whale Calf Found Dead on Cape Cod

Photos: Three of the 112 North Atlantic right whales researchers spotted in Cape Cod Bay April 9, 2017. (Credit: Center for Coastal Studies)