A gray whale swam to the Atlantic for the first time in 200 years

A gray whale swam to the Atlantic for the first time in 200 years

New England Aquarium

Scientists have spotted a lone gray whale in the Atlantic Ocean, which was considered extinct in this region for 200 years.

Its “return” was influenced by climate change, informs Forbes.

The gray whale swam almost 50 kilometers from the island of Nantucket, which is part of the American state of Massachusetts. At this time, he dived, emerged and fed on something.

Although gray whales are not on the verge of extinction, they live only in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean. This happened because they were exterminated by whalers in the Atlantic more than two centuries ago.

According to scientists, the gray whale has returned to the Atlantic due to climate change. In particular, waters have warmed in the Arctic Ocean, which provides whales with an ice-free passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

As Eagle O’Brien of the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Research notes, this observation is “a reminder of how quickly marine species can respond to climate change when given the chance”.

In general, the Atlantic is seeing a decline in the population of all species of whales, which are recovering after centuries of whaling. The North Atlantic right whale is of greatest concern. There are about 360 of them left, including only 70 breeding females.

We will remind, in the UN reportedthat every fifth species of animals that migrate is in danger of extinction.