Rare sighting: Orca spotted off Cape Cod

An orca was spotted off the coast of Cape Cod Sunday in a rare sighting.

Videos shared by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC) showed the orca, also known as a killer whale, swimming near the surface of the water. 

It was spotted off of Chatham, according to AWSC. 

The animal is believed to be the solitary bull orca known “Old Thom,” according to a Facebook post by the Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch.

“Old Thom, identified by his distinctive dorsal fin, is a RARE and exciting sighting, typically seen far offshore,” Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch, a New England based whale watching company, wrote in the post. “He’s been spotted in these waters several times over the years, often accompanied by a pod of white-sided dolphins before heading towards Nova Scotia.”

Orcas are rare to see off the East Coast due to their small population in nearby waters.

Last summer, four killer whales were spotted off the coast of Nantucket, an event scientists called “unusual” and “a day [they] won’t forget.”

AWSC said the recent sighting, seemingly the first reported this year, is “very exciting to see.”

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