Endangered whale and newborn calf make rare winter visit to NYC waters: ‘Sign of hope’

It was a whale of a surprise.

An endangered North Atlantic right whale and her calf were spotted splashing in waters off of New York City last week — marking an exceptional visit from a rare species.

Momma Accordion and her not-yet-named newborn were pictured frolicking in the frigid waters of the Port of New York and New Jersey, roughly 15 miles east of Sandy Hook, on Feb. 3, according to whaling experts.

Accordion and her newborn were spotted last week swimming off the shore of Sandy Hook. NOAA Fisheries

While North Atlantic rights are not an uncommon sight in the waterway this time of year, it is very unusual to see a newborn so far north, explained Chris St. Lawrence, of the south Brooklyn research center Gotham Whale.

“We don’t know if this baby was born here in the New York Bight or if he was born down south and they came up here,” St. Lawrence told The Post Tuesday.

“It’s quite notable that they’re here right now at this time of year when they will generally be further south. These animals are critically endangered, and so every pair is important, but it’s especially rare to have a pair up here outside of their normal birthing range.”

The newborn is the first for Accordion, who has been on researchers’ radar since 2011, when she was first seen with “distinct propeller scars on her back that made researchers think of a musical instrument,” according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

North Atlantic right whales typically stay south during winter with their calves. NOAA Fisheries

Researchers are not sure of the calf’s age, but estimate it could be as young as just a few weeks.

The sweet pair are two of just an estimated 372 North Atlantic right whales alive today, making the species among the most endangered in the world.

But they might not be the only North Atlantic right whales currently in Big Apple waters.

Acoustic buoys stationed throughout the New York Bight, which extends along the Atlantic coast from New Jersey’s Cape May Inlet to the eastern tip of Long Island, detected more of the leviathans on Monday, researchers say.

Adult right whales are known to start making their way north this time of year after spending the winter mating in the warmer waters of Florida.

They don’t typically bring their newborns with them, however — new moms will stay south until the calves are slightly older.

Despite the oddity, Accordian’s rush back north, doesn’t concern researchers, with St. Lawrence emphasizing that the species can be unpredictable and that any calf sighting should be celebrated.

The sweet pair are two of just an estimated 372 North Atlantic right whales alive today. AP

“It’s always a sign of hope to see a mother-calf pair of North Atlantic right whales and it’s really exciting to have them in New York waters. But at the same time, it is a little bit worrying to have them so close to the city and near those busy shipping lanes,” St. Lawrence said.

“Shipping and vessel traffic is a major threat to these animals. And to see their future kind of symbolically threatened in this kind of distinct way is really striking.”

The species has never recovered from their near-extinction in the 19th century when the whales were relentlessly hunted — the name for the North Atlantic right whale came from the species being known as the “right” whales to hunt because they floated when they were killed,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Boats and other vessels remain the mammals’ biggest threat today. Their dark coloration and lack of dorsal fin make them difficult to detect and their penchant for swimming near the surface tragically makes it easy for ships to unwittingly strike them.

Researchers remain confident that the future could be bright for the magnificent beasts.

Last summer, an unprecedented 82 North Atlantic right whales in documented swimming in the New York Bight — a jaw-dropping amount that equates to roughly a quarter percent of the global population.

Typically, the whales opt to spend the summers in Maine, or as far north as Canada.

“It’s really hard to predict where these animals are going to go, which makes it harder to protect them,” said St. Lawrence, “which is why it’s important for these sightings to happen and for reports to get out, for people to know so that we can do better to protect them.”