Blue whales spotted off coast of Massachusetts

Six o'clock really new. We have never been able to say this before. The New England Aquarium's aerial survey team spotted a blue whale off Massachusetts. Beautiful and history making WBC's Mike Sullivan tells us it's an encouraging sign for a species that is under threat. The ocean is an abyss. The vast majority still a mystery to scientists. Yet researchers with the New England Aquarium have made quite a discovery. Our aerial survey team spotted blue whales two days in a row off of New England. They are an endangered species with roughly 400 to 600 whales in their northwest Atlantic population. Typically they are spotted in the summer off the Canadian coast. This is the first time their research has documented them during their southern New England survey. Latest sighting coming 15 miles off of Martha's Vineyard. Kind of make us think that relatively speaking to other places around that this might be an area where blue whales are finding food right now would be my best guess. The whales eat krill, a small shrimp like animal. Researcher Orla O'Brien saying changes to ocean currents can impact where krill thrives and thus where whales travel to find them. I think it's likely that climate change plays a role in the distribution of these animals meaning like where we see them or where they're going. What's not known yet as if the Massachusetts coast is their latest dining locale or if they'll be repeat customers. In Boston I'm Mike Sullivan WBZ News. Wow that is enormous. So I know you're infatuated with sharks off the coast. Is this bigger news to you? I mean the fact that we've never been able to say this before is really significant. I hope it's a good sign. Pretty awesome.