Uncommon Sight: Humpback Whales Spotted By Boaters Close To Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- Boaters are being asked to watch for whales in the waters off Boston after two recent humpback whale sightings in the area.

One juvenile humpback was seen by a Boston Harbor Cruises captain near Deer Island on Thursday morning, and another was spotted Wednesday by recreational boaters just off Revere Beach, New England Aquarium officials said.

"It's a pretty rare event," Tony LaCasse of the New England Aquarium told WBZ-TV's Jim Smith on Saturday. "We probably only see whales in Boston Harbor (about) every three-to-five years."

LaCasse says they think there's a good chance that they are two separate young whales which is "very unusual."

The aquarium says whale sightings so close to shore are uncommon. Aquarium officials believe the sightings are of two different humpback whales.

The recreational boaters said they noticed unusual splashing a few miles off Revere beach on Wednesday, and got to see "the approximately 30 foot whale both breach and tail slap the water repeatedly."

According to the aquarium, the young whales appear to be OK and may be hunting for food. But they want to get the word out to boaters to be careful.

"Small vessel strikes on whales are an increasing problem as a critically endangered right whale was struck off of Plymouth in May, and many whales carry obvious scars on their backs from small boat strikes," the aquarium said.

Humpbacks are usually 25 miles off the coast. Adults can grow to be around 45 feet long, and the two spotted about a half-mile off shore recently were 30-to-35 feet in length.

With the whales so close to shore, LaCasse says "We see a lot of scarring on the backs of whales" from motorboats.