‘Largest Gathering’ Of Endangered Whales Seen Off New York Coast

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) just shared some amazing news, and it all started when scientists spotted an exceptional amount of whale poop.

Endangered species in New York State extend past the shoreline. While extensive work was done in both New York and New Jersey to successfully bring back populations of species like the bald eagle, efforts has been more challenging in the ocean.

The North American Right Whale Spotted Off New York Coast

The North Atlantic right whale has been listed as an endangered species since 1970, and while their population began to rebound in the early 2000's, an "unusual mortality event" began in 2017, dealing a further blow to the ocean mammal.

The Endangered Right Whale Spotted by NOAA

Though the whales can live for 70 years or longer, low birthrates, in addition to negative human interactions, including boat strikes and fishing gear entanglements, have kept the population from rebounding. Currently, there are only 360 documented right whales in the Atlantic Ocean, which makes NOAA's recent discovery all the more exciting.

50 Right Whales Seen off the Coast of new York

NOAA reported seeing an estimated 50 right whales feeding roughly 100 miles of the coast of New York, the largest gathering of the species to have been spotted all year. The reason for the concentrated gathering, scientists believe, was to feed in a nutrient-rich "hotspot". All the evidence they needed was copious amounts of excrement.

The Amazing Reason for All the Whale Poop in New York Waters

"The team thinks the whales were feeding because they saw lots of whale poop", NOAA reported in a Facebook post, complete with the one of the world's most famous emojis. Here's how to identify one of the Atlantic Ocean's most precious creatures.

Identifying North Atlantic Right Whales

Right whales, which were hunted heavily in the 1800s, can grow up to 50 feet long and weigh up to 140,000 pounds. The whale species is unique in the fact that it does not have a dorsal fin, and will have telltale callosities large calluses) on their heads.