WESTPORT – A humpback whale has been spotted off the coast of Westport early Friday afternoon.
This is the third year in a row that a humpback(s) has been seen in the Long Island Sound, after not being there for nearly a century.
The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk wants to stress to everyone that whales fall under the Marine Mammal Protection Act– meaning there are federal restrictions on how close you are allowed to approach them.
The aquarium urges that people should not go chasing this animal, as they are larger than most people’s boats. Chasing them down could result in boater injuries or injuries to the whale.
Two years ago, 1 of the 3 humpbacks that turned up in the Sound was killed by “blunt force trauma”, most likely from a collision with a sailboat.
Maritime Aquarium says that if you happen to spot a whale, the best thing to do is cut the engine, drop the sails, and just watch. They also request that any sighting be reported to John Lenzycki and Dave Hudson at the aquarium: jlenzycki@maritimeaquarium.org and dhudson@maritimeaquarium.org
The aquarium says that photo or video of the underside of the whale’s tail would be helpful. The pattern on the underside of every humpback’s tail is unique and may help to identify it.
