Rare Sighting: 4 Killer Whales Seen Swimming Together In Nantucket Waters

It was an exciting day to be a scientist at the New England Aquarium in Boston after researchers stumbled upon a rare orca whale sighting over the weekend.

A rare sighting of four orca whales was discovered by scientists at the New England Aquarium in Boston this weekend.
Photo Credit: *New England Aquarium*

A close-up of two killer whales swimming together about 40 miles south of Nantucket
Photo Credit: *New England Aquarium*

David Cifarelli

06/13/2023 10:46 a.m.

The team caught four killer whales swimming together about 40 miles south of Nantucket on Sunday, June 13, the aquarium reports. Staff confirmed that it is "always unusual" to see killer whales in New England waters as their population is already very small in North Atlantic waters.

“Seeing them swim in formation was just unreal,” said Orla O’Brien, an associate research scientist who leads the aerial survey team for the NEA's Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life.

“We believe the sighting to be two males and two females, but that hasn’t been confirmed," O'Brien continued. "I think seeing killer whales is particularly special for us because it unlocks that childhood part of you that wanted to be a marine biologist."

The only killer whale seen regularly in North Atlantic waters is “Old Thom,” according to the aquarium. The large male orca is known to swim either alone or alongside dolphins in the Gulf of Maine and the Bay of Fundy. "Old Thom" was last seen in the waters off Cape Cod in May 2022.

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