Pod of right whales spotted off Sandwich coast

SANDWICH, Mass. (WLNE) — Residents on the Sandwich coast got a whale of a surprise Friday afternoon.

Multiple residents took to social media sharing photos of a large pod of right whales in the entrance to the Cape Cod Canal.

One account, M.A. Sharks, shared video of the pod breaching the surface of the water as they fed on microscopic krill.

One more try at posting Right Whale video from this morning. pic.twitter.com/jiWYJfScnP

— MA Sharks 🦈 (@MA_Sharks) March 31, 2023

Officials said it isn’t unusual to see these whales at this time of year, but their proximity to the shore does raise some concerns.

In a statement to our sister-station, WCVB 5 Boston, Lt. Col. Patrick Moran with Massachusetts Environmental Police said it is unusual to see these whales in the entrance to the canal.

Environmental police and Coast Guard officials patrolled the area, monitoring the whales to divert traffic away from the pod.