GREY WHALE NOT SEEN IN ATLANTIC FOR 200 YEARS DOCUMENTED SWIMMING PAST NANTUCKET : CLIMATE CHANGE

DAILY MAIL UK : EXTINCT FROM ATLANTIC FOR 200 YEARS : GREY WHALE : CLIMATE CHANGE 

Excerpts:

'The Northwest Passage, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific through the Arctic Ocean in Canada, has regularly been ice-free in the summertime in recent years, partly due to rising global temperatures,' the aquarium said.

This means that more gray whales could potentially travel the Northwest Passage during the summer when normally they would have been blocked.

...

O'Brien, an associate research scientist with the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium, said the animal's arrival off New England serves 'as a reminder of how quickly marine species respond to climate change, given the chance.'

So how can you tell a gray whale apart from its counterparts?

Unlike the humpback whale, which is more commonly sighted in New England, gray whales can be identified by their lack of a dorsal fin and mottled appearance. 

They also sound different; gray whales make gurgles, grunts and croaks while humpback wales produce what is known as 'songs' as it is reminiscent of human vocals.

TWO YEAR OLD GREY WHALE LOST IN THE MEDITERRANEAN - RARE EVENT PROPELED BY CLIMATE CHANGE?

DAILY MAIL SCIENCE GREY WHALE LOST IN MEDITERRAINEAN 

Or is Wally just adventurous?

EXCERPTS: Biologists are working tirelessly to help relocate Wally over fears he cannot find the invertebrates that are his normal food source in the depths of the Pacific Ocean....

As ice disappears. passages open for marine animals to travel between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean.

However, some marine animals like Wally, become confused and are taking the wrong route when it is time to migrate.

Wally is believed to have taken the Gibraltar Straight to the Mediterranean and followed the Moroccan coast before traveling across Italian shores and landing in France where Hansen and his team spotted him.

AMERICAN CETACEAN SOCIETY - GRAY WHALE BEHAVIOR PROJECT - SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

ACS- LA WHALE CENSUS PROJECT 2018 American Cetacean Society

ACS/LA GRAY WHALE CENSUS AND BEHAVIOR PROJECT

EXCERPT:

Spotters also detail migratory behaviors observed, including breaching, spyhopping, rolling, courtship, apparent nursing, possible feeding, and interaction with kelp and with other marine mammals. Participants also note possible human impacts on gray whales, including boat interactions, possible harassment incidents, and entanglements. In addition, we identify and record behaviors of any other marine mammals that utilize these waters, including common dolphin, Pacific bottlenose dolphin, Pacific white-sided dolphin, Risso's dolphin, northern right whale dolphin, killer whales, false killer whales, pilot whales, Dall's porpoise, sperm whales, minke whales, humpback whales, blue whales, fin whales, California sea lions, harbor seals, northern elephant seals, and southern sea otters. When possible, attempts are made to cross-check and augment notes on individually identifiable cetaceans with photos and behavior data collected from commercial and private whalewatching boats.

....  December though may volunteers are whale watching!