Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Saree: The operation achieved its goals and led millions of settlers to escape to bomb shelters and suspended air traffic.
Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree says that a dual military operation was carried out using a Palestine 2 fragmentation missile and a Zulfiqar missile in occupied Yafa.
Nuseirat Hospital in Gaza: We have received 12 martyrs and 16 wounded, including five children and a woman, over 24 hours.
Yemeni Armed Forces: Drone operations successfully hit their targets.
Yemeni Armed Forces: We targeted the Hadera power station, al-Lydd Airport in Yafa, and Ashdod Port in occupied Palestine with three drones.
Yemeni Armed Forces: We targeted the Israeli enemy's General Staff building in occupied Yafa with a Samad 4 drone.
Yemeni Armed Forces: We targeted the MSC ABY vessel for violating the naval embargo.
Yemeni Armed Forces: We targeted the Israeli enemy's General Staff headquarters, al-Lydd Airport, the Hadera power station, and the Ashdod port.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Prisoners released from Israeli prisons arrive at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central Gaza Strip.
Larijani: The enemy is demanding that we give up our missile capabilities.

200+ years later, gray whale spotted off the New England coast

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 10 Mar 2024 14:20
4 Min Read

On March 1, Aquarium scientists spotted a peculiar whale continuously diving and resurfacing to feed as they were flying 30 miles south of Nantucket.

  • x
  • A gray whale witnessed south of Nantucket on March 1, 2024. ( New England Aquarium)
    A gray whale witnessed south of Nantucket on March 1, 2024. (New England Aquarium)

The United States' New England Aquarium aerial survey team spotted, in an extremely unique event, a gray whale off the New England coast last week, a species that has been extinct in the Atlantic for more than 200 years.

On March 1, Aquarium scientists spotted a peculiar whale constantly diving and resurfacing amid feeding as they were flying 30 miles south of Nantucket.

The aerial survey plane flew around the area in circles for 45 minutes, permitting observers to take additional photos. After the encounter, the observers studied the images and confirmed their suspicions, labeling the whale as a gray whale.

Researchers react 

Associate research scientist in the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium Orla O’Brien stated “I didn’t want to say out loud what it was because it seemed crazy."

Research Technician Kate Laemmle, who was on the plane with O'Brien and was shown the whale pictures by the latter, said, “My brain was trying to process what I was seeing because this animal was something that should not really exist in these waters,” addingÙˆ “We were laughing because of how wild and exciting this was—to see an animal that disappeared from the Atlantic hundreds of years ago!”

Related News

Moscow says Russia, US have interest in normalizing relations

Venezuela accuses US of sharing AI-generated fake military video

Meet the Gray Whale 

Gray whales are usually present in the North Pacific Ocean and are easily differentiated from other whale species by their lack of a dorsal fin, mottled grey and white skin, and dorsal hump followed by pronounced ridges.

They vanished from the Atlantic Ocean by the 18th century, however, in the last 15 years, there have been five spottings of gray whales in Atlantic and Mediterranean waters, with one off the coast of Florida in December 2023, which the scientists believe is the same one witnessed off New England this month.

The Washington Post, covering the sighting, recovered a colonial official’s writings from 1729 that described a “scrag whale” off the coast of Massachusets as the last time a grey whale was seen in that area, even though they are common off the coast of California.

Why has the whale suddenly emerged?

Scientists believe that this incident is related to climate change. The Northwest Passage, which links the Atlantic and Pacific through the Arctic Ocean in Canada, has frequently lacked any presence of ice in the summertime in recent years, partially because of increasing temperatures. 

According to experts, sea ice usually restricts the presence of the gray whale species as they cannot cross it due to its thickness which in turn seals the Passage. However, as a result of the absence of ice at the moment, gray whales can possibly get through the Passage in the summer which was impossible in previous centuries. 

O'Brien emphasized “This sighting highlights how important each survey is. While we expect to see humpback, right, and fin whales, the ocean is a dynamic ecosystem, and you never know what you’ll find,” adding “These sightings of gray whales in the Atlantic serve as a reminder of how quickly marine species respond to climate change, given the chance.”

Leigh Torres, a marine biologist from Oregon State U, speaking with the Post stated that she believes the most plausible reason why that gray whale was witnessed in the aerial survey was a "young juvenile who took a wrong turn.”

“I consider gray whales to be ‘risk takers,’ meaning they show up and feed in places that we often don’t expect or consider ‘normal,’” she stated then added that such behavior sometimes gives “good adaptation to changing conditions, like finding a new feeding area or food type,” she added.

  • United States
  • Gray Whale
  • New England
  • New England Aquarium

Most Read

Fierce resistance ambushes target IOF in Gaza Strip

Fierce resistance ambushes target IOF in al-Zaytoun, Gaza City

  • Politics
  • 30 Aug 2025
A Supporter of Hezbollah holds up a portrait of Hezbollah late leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah with Arabic words reading: "We will stay with you," during a rally marking Al-Quds day, in a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, April 5, 2024 (AP)

Illusioned are those who think Hezbollah is weakened: Israeli colonel

  • Politics
  • 29 Aug 2025
Members of the Iranian Parliament participate in a vote of confidence, in the cabinet of President Ebrahim Raisi, at the Islamic Consultative Assembly in Tehran, Iran August 25, 2021. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA)

Iran’s parliament submits emergency bill to withdraw from NPT

  • Politics
  • 29 Aug 2025
Al Mayadeen English

Hezbollah’s weapons and the lessons of Syria, PLO, and Algeria

  • Politics
  • 2 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
ap
Politics

Trump pushes Chicago deployment, denies health rumors, eyes Venezuela

This Jan. 31, 2019 file photo, shows an oil platform in the Leviathan natural gas field, in the Mediterranean Sea off the Palestinian coast. (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu freezes $35 bln gas deal with Egypt over troops in Sinai

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the spokesperson of the Yemeni Armed Forces, announces 5 military operation in support of Gaza, September 2, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)
Politics

YAF strike Israeli key sites, ship in Red Sea in support of Gaza

Iranian Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, speaks during a press conference after his meeting with the Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (AP)
Politics

Path to negotiations with US not closed: Iran's Larijani

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS