Meet Freckles, the endangered right whale spotted in Conception Bay South

DFO is warning mariners about an endangered right whale spotted in Conception Bay — which, according to whale researcher Jack Lawson, is the first sighting of its kind in the area.

The whale was first spotted near the marina in Long Pond on Wednesday by an onlooker who snapped pictures of the animal with their phone. The photos were sent to Lawson, who was able to confirm it was a right whale.

But Lawson went further than that. He sent the pictures to Boston's New England Aquarium, which was able to identify the whale as Freckles, a 10-year-old female first spotted off the coast of Georgia in 2013.

"No two whales are the same," Lawson said, explaining they have unique white spots around their faces called callosities. "You have to be fairly close to get a picture that's good enough to identify them."

Jack Lawson, a whale researcher for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, says it's the first sighting of its kind in the area. (Darryl Murphy/CBC)

There are only 356 right whales in the world. That number went up slightly from 340 after the stock was reassessed last year. The animals are native to the east coast of the United States but have been moving further north in recent years, chasing copepods — small crustaceans found in cold water.

"As water gets warmer, the copepods, they prefer to head north where the water gets cooler," Lawson explained. "And we're north."

Spottings are becoming more common off the north coast of Newfoundland, but still number one to three each year. Lawson said he went through records of sightings and confirmed there's never been one in Conception Bay — until now.

"As a scientist, it's exciting to see this animal because she's just becoming an adult now so she could start having a calf any time so it's exciting for the population," he said. "But it's a bit terrifying because we know there's lots of vessel activity in the area where she is feeding."

This image was one of a series captured by an onlooker in Conception Bay South on Wednesday. The photos were used to identify the whale. (Submitted by Jack Lawson)

Lawson said herring seines in the area could pose a risk, as could the Bell Island ferry service, which makes multiple trips across Conception Bay each day.

"All these things are risks to right whales, and we know they tend to blunder in front of vessels at times and they're oblivious when feeding so they can be struck by a vessel. So it's kind of a gift you want to see, but at the same time I really wish she was offshore somewhere else."

For now, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has only issued a warning to mariners. Lawson said it's unlikely the lone whale's presence will result in fisheries shutdowns or any other disruptions.

Lawson credits the person who took the picture with making them aware of the whale, and urged others to do the same if they see a whale in the region.

"If it wasn't for this person taking pictures, we wouldn't know."

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