Rare, Endangered Whale Spotted off South Jersey Coast

A critically endangered North Atlantic right whale was spotted off the coast of South Jersey migrating south this weekend.

Rare, Right Whale Seen Off Coast of Cape May

The Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center, a floating marine research center where onboard marine biologists and naturalists monitor sea life and explain the ocean's wonders to passengers, posted on Facebook Sunday to say they had spotted a rare sight.

...we were extremely fortunate to observe a CRITICALLY ENDANGERED North Atlantic Right Whale off our coast! We are eagerly awaiting the whale ID from the New England Right Whale Research Program.

According to The Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center, the estimated population of North Atlantic Right Whales still in existence today is less than 370, including fewer than 70 reproductively active females.

The North Atlantic Right Whale

The North Atlantic right whale is one of the world’s most endangered large whale species.

By the early 1890s, commercial whalers had hunted North Atlantic right whales to the brink of extinction, according to the NOAA Fisheries website.

Although they are no longer hunted, they have never recovered to pre-whaling numbers, and human interactions are still a danger to the whales. Entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes are the leading causes of North Atlantic right whale mortality.

North Atlantic right whales have stocky black bodies with no dorsal fins, and their blow spouts are shaped like a “V.” Their tails are broad, deeply notched, and all-black with a smooth trailing edge. Their bellies may be all black or have irregularly shaped white patches. They can grow to lengths of 52 feet.

Researchers say you might see these enormous creatures breaching and then crashing back down with a thunderous splash.

Right whales communicate using low-frequency moans, groans, and pulses, which may maintain contact between individuals, communicate threats, signal aggression, or be used for other social reasons.

The Right Whale Spotted Near Cape May Had a Scar

The right whale spotted on Sunday off the coast of Cape May had a healed scar that could have been made by a vessel strike.

The Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center pointed out in their Facebook post how valuable the data they collect on such a sighting is. to the health of marine mammal populations in South Jersey.

If you see a Right Whale, report it by calling (866)-755-6622 or alert the U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic on channel 16.