Giant sea creature that vanished 3 years ago mysteriously returns, photos show

A wounded whale thought to have died nearly three years ago has suddenly reappeared off Massachusetts, proving mystery still surrounds one of the world’s most endangered sea creatures.

Named Calvin, the North Atlantic right whale was spotted April 23 during an aerial survey 55 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, the New England Aquarium reported in a May 1 news release.

Calvin’s last reported sighting was in 2022 in Canada’s Gulf of St. Lawrence, records show.

Then poof, she vanished for reasons unknown.

“This was the first time Calvin had been seen in almost three years, and at her last sighting, she had severe entanglement wounds that were new. A lot of people had given up hope that she was still alive after not being seen for so long,” associate research scientist Katherine McKenna reported in the news release.

North Atlantic right whales are highly endangered and among their greatest threats are boat strikes and entanglement with fishing gear, NOAA Fisheries says. It’s believed only about 370 remain, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says.

Despite their size (52 feet in length and up to 140,000 pounds) it is easier than you’d think for whales to vanish, experts say.

“There are some pretty significant areas that aren’t easily or regularly surveyed, meaning Calvin could get missed if her timing was off,” according to Amy Warren, Scientific Program Officer at the aquarium.

“These areas include Georges Bank, Browns Bank, the Great South Channel, and much of the mid-Atlantic. It is pretty interesting for her to be missed two years in a row, but it could have just been a crazy coincidence.”

Calvin’s return is being called “a testament to the resilience of these whales,” due to her ability to overcome repeated traumas, all linked to humans.

Born in 1992, she “was orphaned as an 8-month-old calf after her mother was killed by a large vessel strike,” the aquarium says. In the years that followed, Calvin endured eight entanglements, each potentially fatal, officials said. She gave birth to four calves along the way.

Calvin is once again in harm’s way, experts say. She was sighted among 60 right whales gathering to feed in a busy New England shipping lane, officials said.

“Some whales were seen feeding just below the surface, making them harder for oncoming vessels to detect,” aquarium officials said.

“The survey team observed several large commercial ships utilizing the shipping lanes and was able to alert them to the presence of whales in the area. The sightings have since triggered a dynamic management area or voluntary Slow Zone, which urges mariners to slow down to 10 knots or less to prevent collisions with whales.”

The aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life aerial research team has flown 32 surveys off New England since December, resulting in 168 North Atlantic right whales being located, officials said.

This story was originally published May 6, 2025 at 7:32 AM with the headline "Giant sea creature that vanished 3 years ago mysteriously returns, photos show."