Trio Of Small Beluga Whales Spotted Off Long Island's Gold Coast

MANHASSET, N.y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A trio of small beluga whales was spending the start of the Memorial Day weekend in the waters off Long Island's Gold Coast.

Mendy Garron, a marine mammal expert for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, based in Gloucester, Massachusetts, said Friday that it is somewhat rare for beluga whales to be seen in the region.

"This is the first time we have seen three together, so it's unique,'' she said.

The whales, which were first spotted in Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island on May 10, showed up Friday more than 100 miles west in Manhasset Bay. The area is known for its million-dollar estates and was the setting for the fictional 1920s novel "The Great Gatsby.''

Mallory Nathan, the town of North Hempstead's chief bay constable, said he started getting calls about the whales around 6:30 a.m. When he went to investigate, he found the whales in deeper waters far from shore, headed north toward Long Island Sound.

"They seemed to be swimming freely and appeared healthy,'' said Nathan, who said he was excited to encounter the mammals.

"I was very excited, it's nice to see that our waters are clean enough to sustain such mammals and that they're coming in our bay," Nathan told WCBS 880's Sophia Hall. "I guess there's plenty of bait in the water for them to feed."

Each of the whales appeared to be less than 8 feet long, so they are considered to be juveniles. "I hope they're not in distress," Nathan said.

Garron said the whales turn white when they become fully grown at 13 to 20 feet long. They're not related to the sturgeon of the same name, famous for its caviar.

She said they are believed to have come from the St. Lawrence River region in northeast Canada, and swam down the Atlantic Coast and into Long Island Sound.

Garron said boaters were being encouraged to remain at a safe distance of more than 150 feet and noted they are particularly inquisitive and will approach vessels. "We want to minimize the risk of injury from a propeller,'' she said.

"Give them plenty of room, show them a lot of respect," Nathan said.

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