Spotting beluga, passengers enjoy one whale of a commute
Passengers waiting for the commuter boat in Hull started their daily trek to work in an unusual way yesterday. Instead of focusing on their cup of coffee or the morning paper, the bleary-eyed workers bound for Boston were greeted by a beluga whale who goes by the name of Poco.
"One of the passengers approached me and said the whale was spotted," said Captain Dayle Sullivan-Taylor, who is also a senior naturalist for the New England Aquarium. "No one wanted to go to work, everyone wanted to watch Poco."
While various species of whales are sometimes seen in Boston Harbor, Poco's presence was unusual because belugas make their home in Arctic and subarctic regions, and because Poco was traveling by itself.
Belugas, marine biologists say, are very social creatures and known for their curiosity.
While new to the Boston area, Poco is already something of celebrity in whale-watching circles. The beluga was last spotted in December in Pocologan, New Brunswick, where it earned its name.
Poco was later seen near Deer Island, New Brunswick, in February, and not seen again until late March in Gloucester. The Whale Stewardship Project, based out of Musquodoboit Harbor, Nova Scotia, features Poco on its website.
Poco had been entertaining commuters in Hull for about 20 minutes before the Harbor Express vessel Voyager III arrived, according to Sullivan-Taylor. Once the boat docked, the small whale began playing in the bubbles created by the boat's jets about 35 feet off the stern.
New England Aquarium biologists estimate Poco is around 5 to 7 years old, about 8 to 10 feet long, and weighs about 1,000 pounds. They have not determined the whale's gender, but it is presumed to be a juvenile because of its light gray coloring. Adult belugas are white, which helps provide camouflage among icebergs.
"Poco has come a long way from home. I think he got used to being by himself," said Jim Rice, a biologist with the rescue and rehabilitation team at the New England Aquarium. "My guess is that in any given population, animals display odd behavior, and may go off on their own."
Rice and other aquarium colleagues, along with a representative from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, held a press conference yesterday to warn boaters about hazards Poco could face in busy Boston Harbor.
"Our fear is that he has moved in, but he could just be moving through. We're hoping he's just moving through," said Teri Frady, the chief of research communications for NOAA Fisheries in the Northeast Region.
If boaters encounter Poco, they are asked to stay at least 150 feet away from the whale, because belugas are attracted to sound and to propellers.
Poco has what appears to be a propeller wound on its right flank. The wound, Rice said, occurred during its journey south and appears to be healing.
"It is going to be hard for people to avoid him -- he will initiate," said Frady. "We really need people to resist temptation. It is very important to get out of the water, it may be a danger to you or to himself."
The last Beluga sighting in the Boston area, Sullivan-Taylor said, was in 2002.
Sullivan-Taylor was on a whale watch off the coast of Plymouth when a beluga appeared. Whale watchers named it "Dora the Explorer" after the popular children's television show.
Dora was spotted once a month from May to October, but Sullivan-Taylor said the whale was passing through the area.
Officials are hoping that with the seasonal increase in water temperature, Poco will head north and head home. If not, they may have to assemble a rescue and recovery mission, which is not only difficult, but very dangerous for the animal.
"I'd love to see it again. But honestly, I would be happy if it was never seen again and it would go back to where it's supposed to be," said Sullivan-Taylor.
If Poco is sighted, boaters are asked to call the New England Aquarium Stranding Hotline at 617-973-5247. 