WELLS (NEWS CENTER Maine) — There was more to see than just waves at Wells Beach over the weekend.
Beachgoers spotted a whale close to shore on Sunday afternoon. One onlooker said the whale was only about 300 yards from the beach.
Marine Mammals of Maine was on the scene and identified the visitor as a juvenile right whale. The whale had been hanging around Wells Beach for two days and the same species was recently spotted off the coast in Gloucester and Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Lynda Doughty with Marine Mammals of Maine said right whales are making their way back to Maine and the Bay of Fundy this time of year to find feeding grounds.
Right whale in Wells and York
Right whales are one of the world's largest animals and are also on the endangered species list. There are reportedly only 350-400 North Atlantic Right whales left living in the waters on the east coast from Newfoundland to Florida.
Doughty said right whales tend to come really close to shore. New England Aquarium is working to identify this particular young whale.
Doughty says they do not think the juvenile was alone, but was traveling with another whale that did not come as close to the shore.
In 2013, right whales were spotted very close to the shore at Wells Beach.
Right whales were named such because they were thought to be the "right" whales to hunt because they were easy to kill. They have a docile nature, swim slowly and once dead they float.
Right whales can grow up to more than 59 ft. long and weigh up to 70 tons.
Among the most distinguishing features of a right whale are the rough patches of skin on their heads which appear white due to parasitism by whale lice.
