First Blue Whale in 30 Years Spotted

Blue whales, which can reach 100-feet in length, were hunted to near extinction between the mid-1800s and 1965, when the species received international protection. It is estimated that more than 350,000 blue whales were killed worldwide before they received protection. It is estimated that there are only 12,000 blue whales worldwide.

Scientists on the McArthur II are studying humpback whales on the research cruise, which ends in November. The vessel sails in zigzag patterns from shore up to 200 miles out in traditional whaling waters.

The vessel was about 100 nautical miles southeast of Prince William Sound, where the ocean is approximately two miles deep, on July 15 when spotters saw the first blue whale in late afternoon of an overcast day.

Three spotters on the flying bridge saw a tall blow 6-7 miles away. Blue whales blow plumes about 20 feet high, but from so far away, no spotter was willing to speculate it was a blue whale rather than a smaller fin whale ? the second-largest whale ? which had been seen regularly.

The ship turned toward the whales, and when the animals were within two miles, spotters using 25-power pedestal-mounted binoculars could see they were blue whales, easily identifiable by their tiny dorsal fins. The real giveaway is the shape and size of the dorsal fins, and the coloration. Fin whales are black. Blue whales look blue in the water and slate-gray out.

Researchers were able to get close enough to obtain skin and blubber samples, which will be used for genetic testing and pollutant studies. Samples were obtained by firing a hollow-tip dart from a small boat 25 t0 50 yards away. They also took photos. Digital images were transmitted to blue whale researcher John Calambokidis of Cascadia Research. One whale had been photographed off the coast of California in 1995 and 1998.

The McArthur II cruise is part of NOAA's SPLASH research, which stands for "Structure of Populations, Level of Abundance and Status of Humpbacks." The project involves NOAA scientists and hundreds of other researchers from the United States, Japan, Russia, Mexico, Canada, the Philippines, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua and Guatemala. The SPLASH program is dedicated to assessing humpback whale populations throughout the North Pacific Ocean, and the McArthur II's role has been to assess deep-water populations.

The McArthur II is based in Seattle. So far it has traveled along the coast of Washington and British Columbia and through the Gulf of Alaska. It will continue along the Aleutian Islands to the edge of Russian waters before returning south.