It's a Baby Whale!

We're in the middle of North Atlantic right whale calving season, and this one's a big one! You may have seen posts on our social media or others celebrating the 21(!) calves that have been born this year. Why all the excitement? What is so important about right whale calves? Let's get into it.

North Atlantic right whales are one of the most endangered whale species in the world, with only about 380 individuals alive right now. They have a long history of conflict with humans, starting in the 11th century, when they were hunted by whalers in the Bay of Biscay. In fact, right whales got their name because they relatively easy to hunt and floated when they died, making them the "right" whale to go after. They were at the brink of extinction (it is estimated there were only about 100 living individuals) before right whale hunting was banned worldwide in 1935. Despite a slow increase in population since then, North Atlantic right whales are far from out of the woods. Once again, they find themselves contending with a human population that threatens their survival.

Despite measures like the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act, human activity like commercial boating and fishing have become an increasing danger to right whales. There is an ongoing Unusual Mortality Event (UME) for right whales, which began in 2017. This is a designation given under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to a population of marine mammals that are experiencing a significant die-off, requiring immediate action. Data gathered in response to the population decline in right whales shows that the known causes of death for North Atlantic right whales are exclusively anthropogenic, or human-caused.

This graphic from NOAA Fisheries shows the causes of death and injury in the North Atlantic right whale population during the ongoing UME.

Of all the right whales who have been confirmed dead during this UME, the majority have been killed either by a vessel strike or by entanglement (usually in line from crab, lobster, or fishing activities). This makes their plight uniquely our responsibility.

While scientists are hard at work mitigating vessel strikes and entanglements (we can also do our part by purchasing items made in the United States and speaking up when legislation is put forth to regulate commercial activity in the North Atlantic), the whales are hard at work increasing their own population. There are approximately 70 reproductively active female North Atlantic right whales, and they are having calves less often than they should. Scientists believe this is due to stress and a changing food supply. Where a reproductive female used to have a calf every 3-4 years, they are now having them every 7-10 years. With more whales dying than being born, each new calf is a critical piece of their conservation and survival as a species.

Are you starting to get the hype?

Calving season runs from November - April, so we are less than halfway through it, and there are already 21 calves! That's the highest number of calves since 2011. This still doesn't mean these whales are out of the woods, but it sure is encouraging.

This photo taken by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute shows one of this year's first-time moms, Callosity Back (named for the callosity, or white patch, on her back) with her calf. We are of the opinion that right whale calves are one of the cutest babies in the animal kingdom!

Small victories like a good calving season give conservationists hope, which is something many of us desperately need right now. It feels like the right whales are doing their part, and while a disproportionate burden is placed on these mom-calf pairs, knowing that they're doing what they can is inspiring for the humans trying to help them.

If you'd like to learn more about North Atlantic right whales and look into some action items we can all do to help them, we highly recommend reading "We Are All Whalers" by Dr. Michael Moore. Dr. Moore works at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and is leading the charge on North Atlantic right whale conservation. He has been working with the lobster and crab fishing industries in Canada and New England on developing and implementing ropeless fishing. This practice uses pop-up buoys or virtual buoys with acoustic signals to keep track of lobster and crab pots, eliminating the need for buoy lines that can entangle right whales and other marine wildlife. Dr. Moore is also working on projects to make disentanglement of right whales safer and more successful.

We also recommend watching "Last of the Right Whales," a moving documentary about the current state of the North Atlantic right whale. Parts of it are somewhat difficult to watch, but it is an important look at right whale conservation. If you need a pick-me-up from the right whale doom and gloom, NOAA's North Atlantic right whale calving season page has plenty of adorable mom-calf pictures.

Hopefully this season continues to be abundant; we look forward to watching these calves grow up!