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Experts: Right Whales Moving From Gulf of Maine to Cape Cod Bay for Food

By William J. Kole, The Associated Press

BOURNE, Mass. — Endangered right whales increasingly are frequenting Cape Cod Bay, enticed by the fine dining possibilities of its plankton-rich waters.

Experts tracking the majestic mammals — among the rarest creatures on the planet — say nearly half the estimated global population of 500 or so animals has been spotted in the busy bayover the past few springs.

They’re back again this month, thrilling scientists and amateur photographers.

Charles Mayo of the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown thinks the whales are leaving the Gulf of Maine, where food is less abundant, and coming to the Cape where plankton are thriving.