Do whales take summer vacations?
One North Atlantic right whale apparently headed to Europe. It was recently spotted off the coast of Ireland—the first right whale to be confirmed along that island in 114 years.
That’s according to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group.
The critically endangered whale, one of just 350 left on earth, was seen alone off the County Donegal coast last Monday.
The sighting was verified by the New England Aquarium, which curates the North Atlantic Right Whale Photo ID catalog.
Amy Knowlton, senior scientist at the Aquarium, told CAI that her team is coordinating with the Irish team to try to match the whale to the catalog.
The last positive identification of a right whale in Ireland was back in 1910.
Last week, dozens of North Atlantic right whales were spotted off the coast of New York and New Jersey, while many others have been seen in Canada’s Gulf of Saint Lawerence.
