During aerial photography, scientists from Boston’s New England Aquarium discovered a lone whale swimming 30 miles (48 km) south of Nantucket, Massachusetts. This animal was probably hunting and appeared on the surface of the water for a while.

The gray whale (Eschrichtius sturdyus), known for its gray color and enormous size, was thought to be extinct in this part of the Atlantic Ocean for more than 200 years, according to the New England Aquarium in Boston. Females of this species can reach lengths of up to 15 meters and weigh around 41,000 kg. Their peculiarity is the absence of a dorsal fin with a small hump on the lower part of the body.

This whale species is commonly found in the Pacific Ocean, and the last sighting in this part of the Atlantic Ocean dates back to the 18th century.

Experts cannot yet fully explain why the whale appeared so far north. However, they suggest this could be due to climate change. The fact that the Northwest Passage, a sea route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, especially in Canada, has become ice-free in recent years may be due to increasing average temperatures on the planet. Source