Many whales are endangered, and the gray whale in particular was believed to have been extinct from the Atlantic for more than 200 years. So, the sighting of one by a group of aquarium scientists off the coast of New England, Massachusetts came as a surprise and may be a sign that the gray whale population in the Atlantic might one day recolonize.
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After being hunted for a long time, the gray whales’ presence vanished in the 18th century leading people to believe that they have gone extinct. But the emergence of this gray whale may be more than just a hopeful sign, as the reason why it appeared in the Atlantic waters after more than two centuries could be because of climate change.
Normally, gray whales would be drifting along the Pacific Ocean. It was quite rare to see one swimming in the Atlantic or Mediterranean seas. Only five have been sighted over the past 15 years. One of those included the one sighted off the coast of Florida last December, and the scientists believe that the one they sighted off New England is the same one.
It is possible that due to climate change, the Northwest Passage which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, have become ice-free, and so paving the way for gray whales to travel to the other side. Although this is a good sign that the Atlantic will once again be populated with gray whales, scientists think it will be gradual.
Despite this sighting, however, scientists still consider the gray whale to be extinct in the Atlantic, as a lone whale is not enough to change its status. There needs to be evidence that a breeding population is present before scientists can say that the Atlantic gray whale is no longer extinct.
(Image credit: New England Aquarium/X)
Source: neatorama