(ABC News)
There are only a few hundred right whales in the
North Atlantic, but this year beachgoers in Cape Cod
have been treated to a rare sight -- at least 100 of the
endangered creatures have been counted in the area,
grazing in mass just off the shoreline.
"The current must be piling the plankton up," said
Charles "Stormy" Mayo of the Center for Coastal
Studies. "[There's] a patch of food, of unbelievable
richness that's just stretching right along this edge."
The unusually high abundance of plankton this year,
numbering in the tens of thousands, is making for a
delicious feast for the whales and a special sight for
enthusiasts of this rare mammal.
But marine scientists are baffled why the supply of the
tiny, shrimp-like creatures the whales subsist on is
so plentiful this year, so they're testing the water,
using a hose rig that takes samples from different
levels.
North Atlantic right whales, characterized by visible
rough patches on their heads and distinctive snouts,
can grow to be 50 feet long and weigh up to 90 tons.
Right whales got their name in the 19th century
because they were the "right" whales to hunt -- slow
swimming and peaceful. Slaughtered in the tens of
thousands, only 100 remained in 1935 when the
Convention for the Regulation of Whaling took effect.
While still listed as critically endangered, right whales
are making a comeback -- making this rare sight
special for spectators.
"They're so big and magnificent, you just see them
and ... it gives you chills," said Deb Gustavson, a
whale enthusiast. "They're amazing."
One hundred of the mammals have been counted in
the area this past week, and researchers estimate
there are at least double that number nearby.
In fact, there are so many right whales that the State of
Massachusetts has warned boaters to steer clear of
the animals. Federal law also dictates that boats must
keep a 500-foot distance from the animals unless
they have a research permit.
Endangered Whale Species Grazing Off Coast of Cape Cod
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