Humpbacks, orcas, right whales: Unusual whale sightings south of Nantucket, Vineyard

An aerial survey amounted to 161 whale sightings south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket on May 25, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration survey report.

While there were 161 sightings, that does not necessarily indicate the number of individual whales, said Teri Frady, chief in research communications at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in a comment Wednesday. The plane and whales are both constantly moving, so observers could sight and count an individual whale more than once.

Of the sightings, 21 were fin whales, 26 were humpback whales and 93 were sei whales. There were smaller numbers of killer whales, minke whales, North Atlantic right whales and sperm whales. Whales were exhibiting feeding behavior, according to the report.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will likely be able to identify the individual North Atlantic right whales, and maybe the humpbacks, Frady said.

Meet the whales who visit Cape Cod:Only about 340 right whales remain worldwide. Many visit Cape Cod Bay. These are their names, histories.

Frady said it's typical for there to be a lot of whales in the area at this time, but catching this many in one flight is unusual. People can see whale sightings in the area at Whalemap.

New England Aquarium Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life airplane surveyors also reported on Wednesday seeing two right whales on June 1 about 40 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. On May 9 the aquarium's surveyors saw three right whales feeding in and near shipping lanes south of the islands including “Magic," a 42-year-old female who has given birth to seven calves.

TheCape Cod Times is providing this coverage for free as a public service. Please take a momentto support local journalism by subscribing.