September
3, 2018 by Emily Arntsen, Northeastern
University
As many
as six humpback whales were spotted in Boston Harbor on Wednesday, a rare sight
in the congested shipping port. But the whales probably weren't lost, according
to Joseph Ayers, a professor at Northeastern's Marine Science Center in Nahant,
Massachusetts. They were probably just looking for a snack.
"There
appear to be a lot of bait fish in
the area right now, like pogies, and that seems to be attracting the
whales," he said. Ayers, who specializes in marine science and
neurophysiology, said that whales are usually feeding whenever people see them
close to shore.
Ayers
said that in the past, he has seen humpbacks as close as "50 yards off the
wharf in Nahant." But while it might be normal for these whales to come close
to shore, it's not common for them to swim into Boston Harbor. In fact, Ayers
said it could be quite dangerous.
"Boats
are the biggest problem for whales. If a whale swims into the propeller of a
boat, especially something as big as a shipping vessel, it could be
deadly," he said. Since the whale sightings earlier this week, the U.S.
Coast Guard in Boston has warned boaters to be aware of the animals.
Boaters
might be able to avoid whales by steering clear of large flocks of birds
because, according to Ayers, "Whenever you see a flock of birds, it means
there are fish around." And where there are fish, there could be humpback whales.
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