"Extinct Atlantic Gray Whale Spotted off Massachusetts Coast"

Researchers from the New England Aquarium spotted a gray whale off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, a rare event as the species had vanished from the Atlantic by the 18th century. The sighting, which occurred during a regular survey, surprised the researchers who initially thought it might be a North Atlantic right whale. However, upon closer observation, they confirmed it was indeed a gray whale, a species regularly found in the North Pacific. The reasons for their disappearance from the Atlantic remain unclear, but experts suggest whaling may have been a contributing factor.