Large blue whale spotted off Cape May coast in rare sighting
CAPE MAY, N.J. - A boat full of unsuspecting spectators lucked out with a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the Jersey Shore.
The Cape May Whale and Research Center says they spotted a blue whale, the largest living animal in the world, earlier this month.
"This rare event illustrates the incredible ecosystem off our coast," the research center said.
Passengers got a front-row seat to the incredible sight during a 24-hour pelagic trip along the coast of Cape May on September 14.
Photos from onboard captured the majestic creature as it swam by the boat.
On Wednesday, the research center provided an update on the sighting.
"Dr. Richard Sears, director of the Mingan Island Cetacean Study, catalogs blue whales via photo-identification in the Western North Atlantic. This whale was previously unknown in their catalog before this year, but was documented in an aerial survey in the Hudson Canyon on July 3rd!"
Hudson Canyon is located about 100 miles southeast of New York City, and is the largest submarine canyon along the Atlantic Coast in the U.S.