Rare blue whale sighted on Maine whale watching tour

By Amanda Cedrone

September 12, 2011

1 minute to read

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An 80-foot blue whale gave tourists a rare treat on Sunday when it made an appearance off the coast of Maine during a whale watching tour.

The critically endangered mammal was spotted about 15 miles from Boothbay Harbor by those aboard the Pink Lady II, a whale watching boat. The 80-foot whale remained about 10 feet underwater, logging — or sleeping — while onlookers watched in awe.

“We don’t expect to see blue whales in the Gulf of Maine,’’ said Dominique Leclerc, a staff naturalist on the boat. “People were clapping and cheering, just having a grand old time.’’

Blue whales are the largest whales in the world, and can grow to be 98 feet long, said Scott Kraus, vice president of research at the New England Aquarium. They are estimated to weigh about one ton per foot, so the creatures can easily weigh almost 100 tons.

The whales are largely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, especially near Iceland, Greenland, and Norway, Kraus said. A sighting in the Gulf of Maine generally happens once every few years.

New England Aquarium spokesman Tony LaCasse, said the rare occurrence is exciting, even for those in the business.

“Most of the whale watching folks up and down the coast are probably talking about it,’’ he said. “A sighting of a blue whale in the Gulf of Maine is a red letter day event.’’