For a fresh time this week, fishermen off Cape Cod say they spotted “Old Thom,” the solitary orca identified by a distinctive notch in its dorsal fin. The sighting adds to a long trail of encounters stretching back more than a decade.
The moment the charter boat eased out and the ocean opened up. there was a familiar silhouette—at least. that’s how the fishermen later described it. Off the Cape and Islands. a solitary orca with a distinctive notch in its dorsal fin appeared again this week. recognized by the same markings that have made “Old Thom” a recurring character in local waters.
The Cape Cod-based Sureshot Charters posted a video of the animal to Facebook. The footage appears to be Old Thom based on its dorsal fin and the fact that it was swimming alone. The orca was spotted while the fishing charter was out looking for tuna. Sureshot Charters could not be reached for more information Friday.
Old Thom has been seen periodically in the same region for more than a decade—one of those sightings that becomes part of the rhythm of coastal life. Researchers and fishermen encountered the animal in 2015, when scientists from the New England Aquarium documented it and posted close-up video. Since then, Old Thom has been spotted around Cape Cod numerous times, including in 2016, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
The most recent sighting before this week came last August. A fishing charter ran into Old Thom near Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. In January, a fisherman reported an orca sighting 40 miles off the Gulf of Maine. Experts could not confirm that it was Old Thom, but they said it likely was the famous orca.
Orcas can be found in oceans worldwide, but they’re most abundant in colder waters of the north Pacific, north Atlantic, or near Antarctica. Several orca populations are known to exist in the northwestern Atlantic, off Canada.
The contrast is what makes Old Thom stand out. Orcas are highly social animals and usually live in groups led by elder females, with those groups developing complex cultures—unique diets and dialects. Old Thom, though, is usually found swimming alone or alongside smaller dolphins.
In the stretch between a tuna hunt and a brief slice of video posted online. the sightings have become a kind of living record. It’s not just that an orca surfaced. It’s that the same marked animal keeps showing up—again and again—right off Massachusetts’ coast. where people out on the water are ready. once in a while. to recognize it.
Old Thom orca Cape Cod Chatham Sureshot Charters tuna fishing Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Gulf of Maine New England Aquarium