January marks the time of year when North Atlantic Right whales typically begin to show up in Cape Cod Bay. This year has been no exception, with a pair of whales being sighted on January 7.
There are only about 526 North Atlantic Right Whales left in existence.
Cape Cod Bay is a critical habitat for the right whale. Surveys show that almost half the population have congregated in the Bay each winter and spring during the last 6 years, to feed on dense concentrations zooplankton.
In the audio below, Dr. Charles "Stormy" Mayo, a Senior Scientist at the Center for Coastal Studies, talks with Steve Junker about the mystery of these rare creatures' cyclic return.