‘Deep-diving’ sea creatures surface in ‘rare sighting’ off New England coast
In a “rare sighting” from the sky, three “deep-diving” sea creatures surfaced in the Atlantic Ocean in mid-October, the New England Aquarium said.
The aquariums said its aerial survey team spotted three True’s beaked whales, a species “rarely seen at the surface,” while above the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off the coast of New England. The aquarium shared a photo of the unique sighting on Facebook.
True’s beaked whales are small- to medium-sized and can reach lengths of 15.5 to 17.5 feet, weighing up to 3,000 pounds, when they are adults, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They are one of several beaked whale species.
The whales live in the North Atlantic Ocean, as well as two locations in the Southern Hemisphere, NOAA reports online.
“There is little information on the abundance of True’s beaked whales worldwide,” NOAA says.
True’s beaked whales are known to dive as deep as nearly 10,000 feet while searching for food, according to NOAA.
Their diet mostly consists of squid, and sometimes fish, according to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation.
During the sighting of the True’s beaked whales, the New England Aquarium said its aerial team saw more than 700 marine animals, “including 402 common dolphins and seven fin whales,” over the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument.
This large stretch of ocean, about 130 miles from Cape Cod, is rich in biodiversity and has four underwater mountains as well as three underwater canyons, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
It was presidentially recognized as a national monument in 2016.
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