An extremely rare sighting has occurred off the coast of California, and biologists say they are excited about the discovery.
Jenna Malek, North Pacific right whale recovery coordinator and marine mammal expert, told Fox Digital News that a marine wildlife team from the Great Farallons and Cordell Shoals National Marine Sanctuary was near Point Reyes. A North Pacific right whale has been spotted.
“This is very exciting for us because we know very little about where these whales go when they’re not in Alaska,” Malik said.
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“So this helps us better understand some of the areas they might frequent, what time of year they are and what types of activities they are doing.”
Malik said there have only been a handful of sightings of the mammal since the 1970s, with 15 reports recorded in California.
Endangered North Pacific right whales were spotted off California when a team of marine wildlife experts took to the rocky waters. (NOAA/Pt. Blue/ACCESS, D. Devlin)
Right whales have very unique characteristics, which is why trained observers of the species are able to identify the whale as the rare North Pacific right whale.
Compared with the vertical jets of humpback whales, the V-shaped jets of right whales have two distinctive features.
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Right whales also have what are called “cocoons” on their heads.
“These are white spots on rough skin with barnacles and things like that, and those are actually what we use to identify individual right whales because it’s kind of like a fingerprint,” Malik said.
“So the pattern doesn’t change as the whale ages, so we can take a picture and say, ‘Oh, we’ve seen this whale before based on this information.'”
Because the sea surface was rocky at the time of the sighting in late May, observers were unable to carefully examine the calluses on the heads of North Pacific right whales to determine their identity.
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Based on footage captured by observers, the whale is thought to be in a behavioral state known as “milling,” in which it rests on the surface and does not move in a particular direction or actively feed.
Scientists say the eastern North Pacific right whale population is believed to number fewer than 50 individuals, with only 300 to 400 remaining for the entire species. (NOAA/Pt. Blue/ACCESS, D. Devlin)
“The whale appeared to be relaxed because it was not moving… so it was most likely resting or sleeping due to the slow breathing rhythm and lack of movement in any given direction,” Malik said.
There are fewer than 50 North Pacific right whales in the eastern population.
This sighting was an even rarer sighting, as there are fewer than 50 North Pacific right whales in the eastern population.
Only 300 to 400 species remain on the east and west sides of the entire species, Malik said.
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“There is a population on the western side of the North Pacific near Russia and Japan, and this population is doing a little better than the populations we have off the coast of the United States and Canada, but we don’t know enough about them,” the marine expert added.
Based on the genetic analysis her team is conducting, they do not believe any form of interbreeding has occurred between the eastern and western North Pacific right whales, but the number of breeding female right whales is believed to be limited.
Malik said the team hopes to learn a lot about the North Pacific right whale; sightings like this play an important role in discovering the behavior and habits of this rare mammal.
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The expert added: “We have been unable to identify any clear migration paths or breeding and calving areas for North Pacific right whales, and this includes looking at historical whaling logs.”
“This whale may have been in Alaska or further north, but now it’s in California.”
“There’s nothing really spectacular about them, they get from point A to point B every year, so it’s fun for us to send them out of California,” she said. “This does not necessarily indicate that this is [an] It’s an ecologically important area for them, but it does tell us that this whale may have been in Alaska, or maybe further north, but now it’s in California.
Aside from Alaska, California has the highest number of sightings of right whales in the North Pacific. (NOAA/Pt. Blue/ACCESS, D. Devlin)
Aside from Alaska, California has the largest number of sightings of right whales in the North Pacific.
Malik said there has been an increase in sightings recently, and while that doesn’t necessarily mean the population is increasing, it does mean people are able to identify them and are better able to report their sightings.
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The team said that for those who may encounter this endangered species in the water, it is best to report the sighting to np.rw@noaa.gov and experts will respond to verify the sighting.
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“We encourage people to take photos from a respectful distance. Collect this information and then report it to our fisheries department as every sighting is extremely valuable to us.”
