
A large number of whales is visiting the waters off New England, and the group includes an unusually high number of an endangered species, said scientists who study the animals.
A research flight made 161 sightings of seven different species of whale on May 25 south of Martha's Vineyard and southeast of Nantucket, officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday. The sightings included 93 of sei whales, and that is one of the highest concentrations of the rare whale during a single flight, the agency said.