Are there killer whales off the coast of New England? If you’ve been told they don’t visit the area, you’ve been told wrong. Typically, Orca’s have been seen much farther north in the Atlantic Ocean, the Antarctic, and the Northern Pacific. Those are the typical areas where killer whales live, breed, and raise their young.
But, there have been a few instances where the Orcas have been spotted by fisherman and fishing charters off the coast of New England. In July, 2019 passengers on a fishing charter spotted a killer whale about 15 miles off the coast of Chatham, Maine. The whale was seen swimming with dolphins and appeared to be mimicking their movements, as it rolled onto its back, then onto it’s belly again to continue swimming.
This particular Killer whale Cape Cod inhabitant has been spotted in the area before. He has been given the name “old Thom.” He was identified because the fishing charter operator captured decent video of the whale and experts identified him by the markings on his fin, which are distinctive to him.
