Animal rarely seen off North Carolina coast spotted for first time in 5 years
According to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, the killer whale was far from its usual range.
FILE: Endangered killer whales spotted off California coast
Drone video shows a few of the Southern Resident killer whales caught swimming in the Central California waters.
KITTY HAWK, N.C. – Beachgoers in North Carolina were recently met by a big surprise guest.
According to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, an orca was spotted off the coast of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on March 15.
This is the first time a killer whale has been seen off North Carolina in five years, and the first sighting since survey efforts by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium began in 2020.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute’s aerial survey team spotted an unexpected guest, an orca, off the coast of Kitty Hawk, NC!
(Clearwater Marine Aquarium / Facebook)
Aquarium staff said the discovery opens new possibilities to help grow research and crucial understanding of killer whales.
According to the NOAA, killer whales are found in all oceans. While most are found in colder waters such as those around Antarctica, Norway and Alaska, they are also found in tropical and subtropical waters.
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute has collected more than 20 years of survey data from North Carolina to Florida.
FISHERMEN REEL IN MASSIVE GREAT WHITE SHARK ON OUTER BANKS BEACH
According to the NOAA, there are about 50,000 killer whales globally. Approximately 2,500 live in the eastern North Pacific Ocean, which is home to the most well-studied killer whale populations. In recent years, several populations have begun to dwindle in numbers, which has resulted in some becoming endangered.