Gray Whale Sighted in Vineyard Waters, a First for the Area

In waters about 30 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, a whale not seen in the region for more than two centuries was spotted from the skies last week by scientists with the New England Aquarium.

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Rope Found on Dead Right Whale is From Maine

The rope embedded in the tail of a dead young right whale that washed up on the Vineyard last month is consistent with buoy lines used by trap fishermen in Maine.

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Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe Holds Whale Burial Ceremony

Tribal leadership maintains it has aboriginal rights to any dead whales that beach along the shores of Noepe — the Wampanoag name for Martha’s Vineyard. Retaining that right has remained a priority for members, who have traditionally made use of whale meat, fat, bones and baleen.

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Whale Washes Onto Shoreline At Squibnocket

The Wampanoag Tribe will receive the remaining skeleton of a dead juvenile humpback whale that washed up on Squibnocket Beach on Monday.

Matthew (Cully) Vanderhoop, natural resource director for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), said the skeleton will be put on exhibit at some future date in the tribe’s planned cultural center. He and a large team of scientists and volunteers spent much of yesterday cutting up the carcass and removing it from the beach.

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Dead Right Whale Was Previously Entangled Off Canada

The 3-year-old female whale was seen entangled in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in August 2022, and attempts to free it off Cape Cod last year were unsuccessful, according to the New England Aquarium.

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Whale Carcass Towed to Tribal Land for Further Study

The journey to Aquinnah was two-fold: a tow by sea to the Martha’s Vineyard Shipyard in Vineyard Haven, and then a land transport up-Island.

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Dead Right Whale Found in Cow Bay

Scientists have yet to determine the cause of death as of Monday afternoon, but the dead calf represents another blow to the critically endangered whale species, which has dwindled to fewer than 360 individuals in recent years.

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Right Whale Decline Seems to Be Slowing

After seven years on the decline, the global population of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale may be starting to level off, providing a glimpse of hope for the species’ survival. 

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Wind Energy Has Momentum but Environmental Concerns Remain

While many have touted the arrival of offshore wind, there are also concerns about the scope of the effort and the potential for irreparable damage to species that live and migrate through the area.

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Whales Make a Splash in Local Waters

Several whales and other marine animals were seen off the Vineyard shores this week, a sign that summer is approaching.

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