Humpback whales spotted by boaters near Boston

BOSTON -- Boaters near Boston are being asked to watch for whales in the waters after two recent humpback whales were sighted in the area, CBS Boston WBZ reports.

According to WBZ, one juvenile humpback was seen by a Boston Harbor Cruises captain near Deer Island on Thursday morning, and another was spotted Wednesday by recreational boaters off of Revere Beach, New England Aquarium officials said.

"It's a pretty rare event," Tony LaCasse of the New England Aquarium told WBZ. "We probably only see whales in Boston Harbor every three-to-five years."

LaCasse said they believe the sightings are of two separate young whales. The aquarium also said whale sightings so close to shore are uncommon. Humpbacks are usually 25 miles off the coast.

The recreational boaters reported that they noticed unusual splashing a few miles off Revere beach on Wednesday. They then saw an approximately 30-foot whale. Adults whales can grow to be around 45-feet long, WBZ reports. The boaters said they watched the whale come up and its tail slap the water repeatedly.

According to the aquarium, the young whales appear to be fine and may be hunting for food. They want to get the word out to boaters to be careful. LaCasse says they see a lot of scarring on the backs of whales from motorboats.

"Small vessel strikes on whales are an increasing problem as a critically endangered right whale was struck off of Plymouth in May, and many whales carry obvious scars on their backs from small boat strikes," the aquarium said.