Rare gray whale spotted off the coast of Nantucket

NANTUCKET, Mass. (WLNE) — An aerial survey team spotted a gray whale off the coast of Nantucket this week.

This species has been thought extinct in the Atlantic Ocean for more than 200 years.

The whale was spotted 30 miles south of Nantucket.

The animal repeatedly dove and resurfaced, appearing to be feeding.

Climate change is cited as an explanation for these strange sightings, as the northwest passage, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific through the Arctic Ocean in Canada has regularly been ice-free in the summertime in recent years, partly due to rising global temperatures.