Right Whale, Calf Make Rare Winter Appearance off Plymouth Harbor
A female right whale and her calf were seen Saturday outside Plymouth Harbor.
A North Atlantic right whale and her calf were spotted outside Plymouth Harbor Saturday, according to the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies. The sighting was so early that one scientist called it “mind blowing,” according to the Boston Globe. Pregnant right whales typically migrate to the coasts of Georgia and Florida to give birth in December or January before returning to feeding grounds like Cape Cod Bay in mid-April. The whale holds special significance for the center, which in 2008 found it entangled in a rope. Crews made several attempts over three years to free the whale, nicknamed Wart, before cutting the rope with a specially designed arrow in 2011. The center knew it was the same whale because New England Aquarium …
Matthew Peck
7:46 pm on Monday, April 29, 2013
Many whales get their names based on an identifiable mark on their body... this one must have a unique "wart" on it... the "wart" is called a Callosity... which is a large callus that forms on their heads. All Right Whales have them. more ›