It’s baby season for North Atlantic right whales and already researchers have confirmed a calf spotted by a boater near the coast of Cape Romaine, S.C. just before Thanksgiving is the first.
“It's fitting timing,” says Oceana Campaign Director Gib Brogan. “The first calf of every calving season brings hope and excitement for the future of this critically endangered species.”
Scientists are also tracking several potential mothers who they hope will give birth in coming weeks. They say there are only 370 left as the whales are dying faster than they can reproduce.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says about 20 percent of the Northern Atlantic right whale population is getting sick, injured or killed. Many become entangled in fishing gear or are hit by boats and ships. Officials estimate there are fewer than 70 reproductively active females left.
“Unfortunately, this first calf also evokes the fresh and painful memory,” says Brogan. “The first calf from last season was killed by a boat strike after only a few months of entering this world.”
NOAA Fisheries has proposed more speed limits for vessels along the coast, which have been met with opposition. Scientists are closely monitoring the whales as they migrate south, giving birth from mid-November through much of April.
