If you spot one of these whale tags on the beach, NOAA wants to know

A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sanctuary in Scituate is asking for help finding two lost whale tags.

The NOAA Stellwagen Banks National Marine Sanctuary tweeted Wednesday that researchers lost two tags used to study large whales. It said the tags could wash up anywhere along the coast of Massachusetts.

According to a video about whale tagging from NOAA, the organization uses the tags to track North Atlantic right whales, which are an endangered species. The tags can have cameras, hydrophones, and other sensors.

The tracking devices provide NOAA with information about the whales’ health, biology, behavior, and ecology. This research helps inform their conservation efforts.

In the video, you can see NOAA workers attaching the tag to a whale’s back using a long pole. The tag sticks to the whale because it has suction cups on the bottom.

The tags aren’t permanent and fall off the whales, sometimes within hours. Typically, researchers will then go recover the tags, but in this case, they were unable to do so.

The sanctuary said the tags are both six inches long, look like toy bugs, and have antennae at the top.

If you find either tag, NOAA asks that you email [email protected].

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