A rare North Atlantic right whale spotted off the coast of Donegal last year has made an amazing 4,500 kilometre journey to Boston in the US.
The right whale was first seen in Donegal Bay back in July 2024.
This was the first time the species had been photographed in Irish waters in more than 100 years.
Now, CBS News says scientists at the New England Aquarium have confirmed that the same whale was just seen on November 19th last about 23 miles east of Boston.
Researchers were able to identify the whale due to unique scarring patterns on its head.
Ian Schosberg of Center for Coastal Studies was on the aerial survey that spotted the whale near Boston, and didn’t realise initially how unique the first right whale sighting of the season was.
Unique scars on the whale’s head helped researchers match photos from the Ireland sighting (left) with images captured by the Center for Coastal Studies off Boston (right)
“The next day, when the Aquarium’s catalog team sent over a potential match, I was shocked,” Schosberg said in a statement. “I remembered the Irish whale sighting from July 2024 and how we’d tried to match that to a known individual in the catalog without success.”
There are estimated to be just about 384 right whales left in the world, and the researchers said this unusual sighting suggests they are still searching for the right habitat.
Only a few whales have ever been documented in both North American and European waters, and this may be the first that was ever spotted in the eastern North Atlantic and then resighted in the western North Atlantic.
The scientists said it’s “extraordinary” to see a whale photographed in Ireland reappear off Boston.
“But where else would one expect to find a right whale with Irish connections if not off Boston?” said Padraig Whooley with the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group.
* Pic above courtesy of the Center for Coastal Studies
Rare whale spotted off Donegal last year makes 4,500km journey to Boston was last modified: December 4th, 2025 by Staff Writer