Old Thom is a male North Atlantic killer whale (orca) known for being the only killer whale to regularly be sighted in the Gulf of Maine and the Bay of Fundy. Often referred to as a loner, the whale has never been seen with other orcas, but is often accompanied by Atlantic white-sided dolphins, who seem to feed alongside the orca.[1] The orca has received considerable media attention for its visits to Cape Cod in 2016, 2022, 2023, and 2024.[2]
| Species | Orcinus orca |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Years active | 2006–present |
Identifying features
editOld Thom is a large bull orca, and is estimated to be 25 to 30 feet (7.6 to 9.1 m) long, with an estimated weight of 8 short tons (7.3 t).[3] The whale is identified by a distinct notch a third of the way down the posterior side of the dorsal fin.
Sighting history
editThe first known sighting of Old Thom was in 2006, spotted by Canadian whale watching boats in the Bay of Fundy.[4] The whale has since been seen nearly annually in the Bay of Fundy. In August 2010, the whale was observed in the Roseway Basin by the New England Aquarium, which was conducting North Atlantic right whale surveys.[5] In July 2016, Old Thom was photographed by charter boat captain Bruce Peters 13 miles off the coast of Chatham, Massachusetts.[6] The orca was again seen off the coast of Cape Cod by fishermen in May 2022,[7] June 2023,[8] and June 2024.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Faulds, Jessica (September 21, 2016). "Meet Ol' Tom, the orca who prefers the company of dolphins". Cottage Life. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
- ^ White, Robyn (May 31, 2022). "Killer Whale Cruising Cape Cod Waters Is 30ft Bull Named 'Old Thom'". Newsweek. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
- ^ "Old Thom Appears - Again - in the Bay of Fundy". Orca Conservancy. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
- ^ Riley, Jonathan (September 17, 2016). "Ol' Tom the Orca is back - whale watchers off Brier Island spend time with solitary whale". The Digby Courier. Archived from the original on September 18, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
- ^ Brown, Moira. "#23: One Last Peek at the Bay". Right Whale Research Blog. New England Aquarium.
- ^ Wang, Vivian; Annear, Steve. "Orca named 'Old Thom' spotted in rare sighting off Chatham". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
- ^ Sobey, Rick (May 17, 2022). "A familiar orca is spotted off Cape Cod: 'It was pretty cool to see… you don't get higher on the food chain'". Boston Herald. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
- ^ Thorpe, Lindsey (June 13, 2023). "Fishing crew encounters orca whale swimming with dolphins off Cape Cod". Boston 25 News. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ Berger, Ava (June 4, 2024). "Orca spotted seven miles off the coast of Chatham by boat crew on tuna fishing expedition". The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 4, 2024.