A gray whale, believed to be extinct in the Atlantic Ocean for over 200 years, was recently spotted off the coast of New England in what experts are calling an "incredibly rare event." The New England Aquarium's aerial survey team observed the whale about 30 miles south of Nantucket on March 1, diving and resurfacing while appearing to feed. The team took photos and confirmed that it was indeed a gray whale, a species that is usually found in the North Pacific Ocean.

This sighting marks only the sixth observation of a gray whale in the Atlantic and Mediterranean waters in the last 15 years, with another sighting off the coast of Florida in December. Scientists believe that the gray whale spotted in New England is the same one seen in Florida late last year. The researchers were initially skeptical about the sighting, but after circling the area for 45 minutes, they were able to confirm the presence of the rare whale.

The New England Aquarium scientists attribute the increased sightings of gray whales in the Atlantic to climate change. The warming of the planet has led to the Northwest Passage, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic, being ice-free in recent summers. This has allowed gray whales to potentially travel through the passage, a feat that would not have been possible in previous centuries.

Orla O'Brien, an associate research scientist at the New England Aquarium, emphasized the importance of these sightings in understanding how marine species respond to climate change. Gray whales, which were almost hunted to extinction during the era of commercial whaling, have since recovered and are now considered a species of "least concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Their distinct features, lack of a dorsal fin, and mottled appearance set them apart from other whale species commonly seen in the region.