CAPE COD — It’s a sure sign of spring in New England- right whales are returning to Cape Cod Bay but this year in larger numbers than in previous years.
According to researchers at the Center for Coastal Studies, images have shown 80 of the critically endangered whales in the bay.
Last week, researchers also spotted the first mother-calf pair. The mother, identified as 31-year-old Nauset, was first spotted swimming with her newborn off the coast of Georgia in December.
After spending the winter breeding off the southeastern U.S. coast, right whales migrate to areas like Cape Cod Bay, which becomes one of the world’s largest whale feeding grounds during the springtime phytoplankton bloom.
With only around 370 North Atlantic right whales remaining, the increase in sightings in Cape Cod Bay offers a hopeful sign for the endangered species.
To learn more about right whale research, visit the link here.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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