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| January 31, 2006
Media Release 1.1 First Confirmed Sighting of Critically-Endangered Right Whale Reported in Cape Cod BayField Season for Two Right Whale Programs Underway at PCCS (Provincetown, Cape Cod, MA) - The first confirmed sighting of a right whale in Cape Cod Bay was recorded on Sunday by Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies' scientists aboard the R/V Shearwater.
"Our initial cue was a series of fluke prints," explained PCCS Associate Scientist David Osterberg. "We cautiously followed them and waited anxiously for the whale to come up." Fluke prints are smooth, circular patches of water created by the pumping of the tail as the whale swims just beneath the surface. Osterberg was aboard the Shearwater with PCCS Associate Scientist Dr. Amy Costa, and the Shearwater's captain, Marc Costa, when the right whale finally made its appearance. "It was like seeing an old friend," added Osterberg. "We all just cheered and stole a few moments of appreciation before getting back to work," he added. Osterberg and Costa were sampling the water column for zooplankton, the mainstay of the right whale's diet, when the whale was spotted. The yet-unidentified individual - thought to be an adult female - appeared to be sub-surface feeding, diving for up to 15 minutes at a time. PCCS conducts intensive research cruises aboard the R/V Shearwater in winter and spring as part of a right whale monitoring program in Cape Cod Bay and nearby waters funded by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MA DMF.) Since 1984, PCCS researchers have studied the dynamics that make Cape Cod Bay a critical habitat for the endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis.) The Bay is the only known habitat area outside of the calving ground where right whales are known to congregate during winter and spring. Though it is illegal to approach within 500 yards of a right whale, PCCS does so under a research permit issued by NOAA Fisheries Service. Since 1998, PCCS has also conducted systematic aerial surveys to monitor right whales as part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Right Whale Conservation Plan. These data provide valuable information on the distribution, abundance and population characteristics of right whales in the Bay. PCCS provides data to state and federal agencies managing human activities, such as vessel traffic and fishing, which occur in right whale habitat areas. The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries prohibits gillnet fishing in all of the Cape Cod Bay Critical Habitat from January 1 thru May 15. Field seasons for the Center's Right Whale Habitat & Aerial Survey Programs begin in January through May 15. Despite the wintry weather, "we've been fortunate to have been able to fly twice a week and look forward to our first right whale sighting this season from the aircraft," said Owen Nichols, coordinator of the Aerial Survey program. ** '30 Years of Discovery & Commitment'
The Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies was founded in 1976 and is dedicated to researching and protecting marine mammals and marine ecosystems in the Gulf of Maine through research, conservation and public education programs.
# # # PCCS Contacts:Theresa M. Barbo Director of Communications Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies (508) 487-3622 x103 (office) ccsmedia@coastalstudies.org
Amy Costa
David Osterberg
Owen Nichols | ||
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Mother/calf pair from 2005 season - "PCCS image taken under NOAA Fisheries permit 633-1483, under the authority of the U.S. Endangered Species and Marine Mammal Protection Acts - please request PCCS permission for use." |
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Cape Cod Bay is the whales' winter feeding ground and a critical habitat for the endangered species, of which fewer than 350 exist.
