NANTUCKET, Mass. — The federal government says there is a large aggregation of an endangered species of whale south of Nantucket, and mariners should avoid it for the safety of the animals.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the group of 100 North Atlantic right whales was seen in the area in mid-January. It’s asking mariners to route around the area or transit through at 10 knots or less. The management area is in effect until Wednesday.
The group of whales represents nearly a quarter of the worldwide population of the animals. The whales were decimated by hunting during the whaling era. They have also suffered heavy mortality and poor reproduction in recent years.
NOAA says the whales are on the move on the Atlantic coast and mariners should be mindful of them.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.