Whale researchers with the federal Division of Fisheries and Oceans lately noticed one of many largest pods of orca whales ever reported off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.
About 30 killer whales had been present in a single pod throughout a current aerial survey, leaving scientists attempting to make sense of the bizarre discovering.
“For us it is actually thrilling as a result of it is a uncommon occasion,” DFO whale knowledgeable Jack Lawson mentioned Tuesday.
The aerial survey takes place each three years.
Lawson mentioned the missions are primarily centered on looking for the critically endangered North Atlantic proper whale, however scientists nonetheless preserve an eye fixed out for different whale species through the flight.
“They occurred to be out at the present time, about 100 nautical miles east-southeast of Cape Race and one of many observers noticed this group of killer whales,” he mentioned.
“We have been amassing sighting data because the late 1700s, when the whaling interval was on, and in all of that point there’s solely been possibly 10 teams of that dimension.”
Pods extra generally quantity six whales or fewer, Lawson added.
The significance
The invention of such a big pod means it is potential that researchers are discovering extra whales.
Lawson mentioned there exists a photograph database of about 100 identified whales proper now. With the 30 orcas discovered within the massive pod, plus different smaller pods discovered alongside the best way, he mentioned, the database may very well be lacking some identities.
Lawson is asking mariners to report any and all orca sightings. One report acquired Tuesday morning urged one other massive pod of killer whales had been seen following a fishing boat nearer to shore., he mentioned.
DFO scientist Jack Lawson talks concerning the significance of 30 orcas seen close to Cape Race — and the way his extreme FOMO (worry of lacking out) got here to life when he realized he wasn’t there to witness it.
“Within the final 4 days we have had virtually 12 sighting occasions despatched to me from way back to 5 years in the past. Persons are sending me data of killer whales and so it has been very helpful,” he mentioned.
Whale sightings down
Lawson mentioned there are traditionally fewer whale sightings basically over the summer time.
“Normally we get a cluster of whales that come up — humpbacks on this case — by way of Witless Bay. That is all of the whale excursions you may see out of St. John’s and that space. They sort of cling round for a number of weeks and slowly make their method north,” he mentioned.
“This 12 months they had been very fast by way of. They had been there, seemingly, a really brief time frame and people of us who had been trying on boats and planes across the coast, the whales appeared extra scattered than typical.”
Lawson mentioned that shortage may very well be attributed to warming ocean temperatures as fish — as a main meals supply — dive into deeper, cooler water or transfer by way of an space sooner.
Whales that depend on that meals supply comply with shut behind.
“I believe we could be seeing that now, the place we’re seeing whales transferring by way of an space rapidly, much less plentiful, additional offshore — as an illustration, this group of killer whales,” mentioned Lawson.
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