Photo courtesy of the New England Aquarium.
HYANNIS – The New England Aquarium aerial survey team recently spotted more than 100 whales this week.
Of the marine mammals spotted, 27 were identified as critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.
“We were really pleased to see so many whales and collect valuable data needed for our project. Massachusetts Bay and Stellwagen Bank are hotspots for whales, and we were grateful to our research colleagues for helping us collect valuable information on this flight,” said scientist Orla O’Brien.
The whales return to those waters annually to feed and raise their young.
Scientists with the aquarium said that this recent survey helped plan how data will be collected after offshore wind developments are constructed, factoring in changing spotting techniques and a higher altitudes to avoid future turbines.
“On this special flight, we flew each track line at a lower and higher altitude. Comparing these data, and data from previous flights, ensures that we can correctly identify and interpret any changes in the number of animals seen before, during, and after construction,” said Dr. Jessica Redfern, Senior Scientist and Chair of the Aquarium’s Spatial Ecology, mapping and Assessment (EcoMap) program.
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