Rare Blue Whale Spotted Off Cape Cod Coast

TRURO, MA — A blue whale was spotted off the coast of Cape Cod, a sighting officials with the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown said is incredibly rare.

The whale was seen Wednesday just 13 nautical miles off the coast of Truro.

Blue whales are the largest animals on earth and can grow up to 100 feet in length and weigh up to 150 tons.

The Northwest Atlantic blue whale population is estimated to be between 400 and 600. They are mostly commonly spotted in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada, center officials said.

"There are sporadic sightings of them off New England, but when they are seen they are generally in very deep water hundreds of miles offshore," the Center for Coastal Studies said.

The most recent sighting of blue whales near Cape Cod was by the New England Aquarium aerial team in February, where they discovered two whales 130 miles offshore.