In an unusual event, four orcas were seen swimming in unison off the coast of Massachusetts.
The extraordinary sighting was made by scientists from the New England Aquarium conducting aerial surveys approximately 40 miles south of Nantucket on June 13. The killer whales were posted on the Aquarium’s Twitter account.
According to our scientists, it is unusual to see killer whales in New England waters, let alone four!”
Assistant research scientist Katherine McKenna was the first to spot the pod of orcas. She shared, “Initially, I saw two splashes ahead of the plane.
As we circled the area, two whales surfaced too quickly to be identified. We had a clear view on the third surfacing and could see their distinctive coloring before the large dorsal fins broke the surface,” she said.
The research team confirmed the pod comprised one adult male, one adult female, and two juveniles. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recognizes killer whales as the top predator in the ocean.
The posted image elicited excited reactions from followers, with one stating, “Wow. We rarely see orcas along the east coast in the summer months.” Another user expressed delight in the important data from increased marine mammal survey efforts.
Orla O’Brien, an associate research scientist leading the aerial survey team for the Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, described the experience of witnessing the orcas swimming in formation as “unreal.”
