RARE GREY WHALE WHO WAS THOUGHT TO BE EXTINCT SPOTTED IN THE WATER NEAR MASSACHUSETTS

Thirty miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, in the Atlantic Ocean, a whale was seen swimming on 1 March 2024. Scientists at the New England Aquarium frequently see whales at this time of year, but something about this particular animal concerned them. They were looking at a grey whale, a species that is believed to have gone extinct in the Atlantic for almost 200 years, after closer examination.

The grey whale is a common sight in the North Pacific, but its sighting in the Atlantic Ocean dates back to the 18th century, so the researchers' discovery is very unusual. Whaling may have played a role in the animal's disappearance from the area, though experts are not totally sure why. According to researchers, the whale sighting in the area is now caused by climate change because the ice that usually covers the area hasn't formed, making travel easier.

In the last fifteen years, grey whales have been spotted five times in the Atlantic, the most recent sighting occurring in December off the coast of Florida, according to researchers.