Scientists were thrilled to spot an endangered North Pacific right whale off the coast of Marin County last week.
A pair of North Atlantic right whales interact at the surface of Cape Cod Bay, March 27, 2023, in Massachusetts. ** FILE **
“It came up right in front of us,” then lingered for 20 minutes, said Ms. Roletto, research coordinator for the Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries. Standing on the ship’s viewing platform, she and marine ecologist Kirsten Lindquist instantly recognized the whale. The whale exhibited a V-shaped blow, was wide and pitch black, and had no dorsal fin. Notably, there was at least one cluster of rough, white skin patches on its head.
North Pacific right whales were nearly driven to extinction by commercial whaling. Unlike other whale species such as humpbacks, grey whales and blue whales, right whales have been much slower to recover. They were favored by hunters because they swim slowly near shore and float after death. As many as 40,000 North Pacific right whales were slaughtered by the late 1800s.
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