Boaters get glimpse of ‘rare’ creature — known for eating sharks — in Maine. See it
A boat full of whale watchers in Maine had a busy day recently.
The Bar Harbor tour watched “amazing” fin whales lunge feeding and caught glimpses of Atlantic white-sided dolphins. But then things got even better, according to a Sept. 24 Facebook post from the Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company.
A “rare” sperm whale made an appearance, the tour agency said.
“After a 25-minute dive it logged on the surface for several minutes allowing us great looks at the largest toothed whale species,” the post said.
Sperm whales are endangered and are found in Alaska and the northern Atlantic, according to Whale Sense. The deep-diving creatures are known to prey on squid, sharks and other fish. Females can grow to 40 feet and 15 tons, while males can be up to 52 feet and 45 tons.
The agency said its research assistants will share their photos with Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada, to learn more about the individual and the species in the Gulf of Maine.
Social media users shared their excitement about the encounter.
“WOW, so awesome,” one person commented.
“Don’t get to see them very often!” a second comment said.
“What a sighting!” another commenter wrote.
This story was originally published September 25, 2023 at 11:52 AM with the headline "Boaters get glimpse of ‘rare’ creature — known for eating sharks — in Maine. See it."
