Orca 'Old Thom,' spotted in Cape Cod waters. Experts call sighting 'very rare'

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Orca named 'Old Thom,' spotted in Cape Cod waters. Experts call sighting 'very rare'
Bailey Allen, USA TODAY NETWORK - New England
Cape Cod Times
Fri, August 15, 2025 at 5:07 AM EDT
2 min read



ETP orca leaps 20-plus feet while hunting. Photo: Erica Sackrison


An orca that hangs around the waters of New England, known as Old Thom, was spotted north of Cape Cod this past weekend.

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy confirmed the "killer whale" sighting in a Facebook repost on Aug. 11.

Donna Piraino, of Go Girl Fish Fishing Charters, took the most recent video of Old Thom around Stellwagen Bank while tuna fishing.

The lone orca has been spotted sporadically over the years around Cape Cod and in the Bay of Fundy. This has stumped local marine experts because it isn't a very common sight.

"Generally speaking, [orcas] are very rare in the New England area, and not as well understood in the Atlantic as they are in the Pacific," said Amy Warren, assistant research scientist at the New England Aquarium's Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life.


Old Thom spotted through the years

However, this particular orca tends to pop up in the waters around Massachusetts and has been seen as far north as Canada.

Old Thom was first spotted in the late 2000s, Warren said. She said her research team at the New England Aquarium first saw him off Nova Scotia in 2010.

Warren then got to observe the orca for herself in the Bay of Fundy in 2020, she said.

"Old Thom has this notch in the back of his dorsal fin, and that's how most of us recognize him. Whenever we see photos of him, that's the first thing we look for to confirm it's him," she said.

Old Thom usually swims around by himself, with no other orcas in sight, Warren said. Sometimes he is seen hanging around a pod of dolphins.

"We wonder, does he have a family elsewhere?" Warren said.


Where are orcas typically seen?

Orcas are found in all of the world's oceans, but are more abundant in cooler waters, according to the American Cetacean Society.

The society said that orca behavior is driven by food, rather than regular migration routes, so sightings are usually an indication of a rich food source.

"My sense is that Old Thom is more likely feeding on fish, maybe tuna, which are obviously much larger," Warren said.

She explained that visiting the New England waters could just be a "habit" of Old Thom's, because he is used to the area.

"Maybe Old Thom just feels like this is a spot he has to visit every year," she said.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Killer whale spotted north of Cape Cod a 'rare' orca sighting