A specimen of a rare species of whale spotted off the coast of Donegal last summer was recently sighted almost 5,000km (more than 3,000 miles) away in Boston.
In July 2024, the North American right whale, a species that is usually found in waters surrounding America, was spotted in Donegal Bay.
On November 19th, the same whale specimen was spotted in Massachusetts Bay.
A US marine scientist said it was the first time a whale had been seen in both European and US waters “in the modern era of right whales”.
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“It’s pretty exciting,” said Ryan Schosberg of the Centre for Coastal Studies.
He was one of two researchers who spotted the whale in Massachusetts Bay while conducting a survey for the centre.
There have been only “six or seven instances” of documented cases of right whales appearing in Irish or European waters, he said.
The most recent sighting of the endangered whale was “very significant”, said Pádraig Whooley, a sightings officer with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group.
There are fewer than 400 remaining North American right whales. Prior to July 2024, there had not been a confirmed sighting of a right whale in Irish waters for more than a century.
Researchers were able to analyse and compare the callosities or crustaceans that grow on the whale’s head in a unique pattern to confirm it was the same whale.
Mr Whooley said callosities were used “almost as a fingerprint” when identifying whales.
He said the last confirmed sighting of the whale was off Co Mayo back when Ireland had whaling stations in the early 20th century.
As far back a the 12th and 13th century, the species was “widespread” across the Atlantic Ocean on both the European and American sides, he said.
Mr Whooley said the Irish coast might be providing attractive conditions to encourage the whale’s return.
“If a whale has found Donegal Bay to be favourable and found good habitat there - and found plenty of food there - there’s no reason to believe that individual may not return,” he said.
“And if that individual brings some of his mates with him, well, then it’s potentially going to take us into quite an interesting place.”
Climate change was “probably part of the reason” why this type of whale has been spotted again in Irish waters after a century-long absence but there could be “lots of other factors”, said Mr Whooley.
“The fact that we have now matched this one animal between Donegal Bay and Boston just offers a glimmer of hope that some of the individuals in this struggling remnant population may well be seeking out new territory,” he said.
“And if you’re going to go somewhere well, why not go somewhere your ancestors once were?”
