Members of the scientific community are puzzled today after a young Beluga Whale made its way to the Taunton River in Fall River, Massachusetts.
Scientists from Mystic Aquarium, the only aquarium in the Northeastern United States with Beluga whales on-site for study and exhibition, have made their way north to the whale’s current location in the hopes of better understanding what brought the creature so far from its natural habitat.
Dr. Tracy Romano, executive vice president of research and zoological operations at Mystic Aquarium, is leading the effort.
“We are intimately involved in Beluga research with our animals at Mystic Aquarium, and travel to the Arctic every year to study them in their natural habitat,” Dr. Romano said in a statement. “This unusual sighting in our own back yard is anomalous behavior for a Beluga and we would like to find out why.”
The Beluga was spotted several times over the past week in the Taunton River. The changing environment’s effect on the health of Belugas has become a major concern for scientists worldwide.
Officials from Mystic Aquarium will be updating the public via Twitter and other social media using the hashtag #beluga.
