New England Aquarium scientists spot endangered sperm whale, calf in water off Cape Cod

BOSTON — Scientists at the New England Aquarium are celebrating after they spotted an endangered sperm whale and calf in the biodiverse Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument.

During a recent aerial survey on October 19, scientists spotted something they hadn’t seen in 6 years, 324 marine animals during the five-hour flight.

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.

The team also spotted 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.

Back in 2016, President Obama designated the Monument as the first marine national monument in the U.S. Atlantic Ocean. The area encompasses three underwater canyons deeper than the Grand Canyon and four seamounts, or extinct volcanoes, that rise higher than any mountain east of the Rockies.

The New England Aquarium plays a crucial role in the Monument and since 2016 the New England Aquarium has flown 16 aerial surveys over the Monument, “documenting remarkable marine mammal biodiversity.”

“As a global leader in applied marine research and conservation practice, and a longtime research hub for Atlantic marine species, the Aquarium has been deeply involved with studying the Monument region and its species for many years,” the Aquarium’s letter states. “We have observed a variety of species through aerial surveys in this area (e.g., blue whales, sperm whales, whale sharks, Chilean devil rays), and the Monument contains some of the highest marine mammal diversity along the entire east coast. We will continue to advocate for protecting this region and look forward to supporting USFWS and NOAA as the Plan takes shape.”

Earlier this month, scientists announced that the decline of right whales in the world appears to be slowing, but are warning everyone the giant mammals still face existential threats from warming oceans, ship collisions, and entanglement in fishing gear.

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