More than 82 - including 56 in one day - of the nearly 360 remaining, critically endangered North Atlantic right whales were spotted in the treacherous water highway at the end of July and into August in an area spanning between 40 and 70 miles south of LI. Of concern is that no mandatory speed restrictions currently exist to reduce the risk of fatal boat strikes to large whales in the area.
This multi-month grouping of whales south of Long Island is very unusual. This "mid-Atlantic aggregation" of the whale is associated with changing ocean conditions. Fishermen and other nautical experts have also observed other behavioral changes in sharks from prey fish migrations, leading them closer to local beaches - some on Long Island's north shore.
The aquarium experts say the two telltale signs of feeding are that whales spend at least 10 minutes below the surface and defecate in the region. "That indicates there's been good prey, a good food resource for them to stick around there for that long," McKenna told WBZ-TV, recalling that fishing nets and boats were abundant around the marine mammals.
We were definitely nervous seeing that, she said, adding that their next congregation area is "becoming more unpredictable" due to changing ocean conditions.
#north-atlantic-right-whales #marine-conservation #boating-risks #endangered-species #ocean-conditions
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