Down near the Bahamas, a bizarre story is unfolding as two critically-endangered North Atlantic right whales continue a rebellious streak.
Maybe they’re fans of Bob Dylan or The Ramones, but the whales, named Curlew and Koala, have spent the last few months cruising down from the Mid-Atlantic coast to the tropical Caribbean seas, something described as a “once in a lifetime” event.
The sighting of the whales was made by a dolphin watching tour in Florida near Bimini, about 50 miles off the coast. The ship’s captain admitted it was something he had never seen before, and thought the whales were fake at first.
Right whales are extremely rare vagrants in the Gulf of Mexico, and there has never been a North Atlantic right whale sighting in Bahamian seas, where the pair are currently located. Typically this time of year sees these giant baleens going in the exact opposite direction—further north.
Dozens of boats in Massachusetts areas such as Martha’s Vineyard and Broad Sound have been ordered to slow down as dozens of right whales have recently been sighted heading north, a not uncommon migratory pattern that happened last year as well.
“It is fairly unusual for right whales to be seen in the Gulf of Mexico, and there are no recorded sightings of right whales in the Bahamas,” senior aquarium scientist at the New England Aquarium, Philip Hamilton, said in a statement. “What inspired them to make this journey will likely remain a mystery.”
ALSO CHECK OUT: Sighting of Many Blue Whales Around the Seychelles is First in Decades – ‘Phenomenal’
In addition to the migratory enigma, CBS News reports that it’s extremely unusual for two right whales to stay together for more than a few days, unless it’s a mother with her calf.
There are only about 370 North Atlantic right whales left on earth. Extremely intelligent, there are no working hypotheses for why these relatively juvenile whales have paired up and gone so far out of their normal range.
WHALE WATCHING: Majestic Sei Whales Reappear in Argentine Waters After Nearly a Century
Vagrancies are, however, fairly normal—especially with the eastern Atlantic population, which can end up in the Mediterranean, and along the coasts of England, Norway, and the Netherlands.
“Everything about this sighting is remarkable and exciting,” Hamilton said.
SHARE These Freewheelin’ Right Whales Going Where They Please…