New England Aquarium researchers spotted a little-known species of whale during a recent aerial survey.

Scientists photographed three True's beaked whales , believed to be two adults and a juvenile, during a mid-October flight over the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, which is about 150 miles southeast of Chatham, Massachusetts.

The aquarium says these "deep-diving" whales are a rare sight.

Rare sighting alert! 🐋 Three True’s beaked whales were spotted by our Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life aerial... Posted by New England Aquarium on Thursday, October 30, 2025

"People who maybe go out boating or something are not going to see these animals because they exist in deep water," aquarium research scientist and aerial survey coordinator Orla O'Brien

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