February 27, 2024 — Authorities are urging boats traveling in shipping lanes off Cape Cod to slow down after 31 North Atlantic right whales were found in the area last week, the New England Aquarium said Monday.
The right whales were discovered in two separate groups by an aerial survey of the Great South Channel, the aquarium said in a press release. The first group of whales surfaced while “feeding about 35 miles east of Nantucket,” and a second group was seen 20 miles east of Chatham.
The Great South Channel overlaps with shipping lanes to and from Boston, and NOAA Fisheries urged ships in the area to travel no faster than 10 knots until March 7 to protect the whales, the aquarium said. The restriction is voluntary.
Right whales are a critically endangered species, with an estimated population around 360.
“These protections are particularly important given the recent loss of two female right whales—one found off of Georgia after being struck by a vessel,” the aquarium said.