First North Atlantic right whale calf of the season spotted
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute spotted a North Atlantic right whale calf in November 2024. (Source: Facebook/FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute)
The first North Atlantic right whale calf of the season was recently spotted near South Carolina, providing some good news for the critically endangered species.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute announced boaters spotted a calf with a mother of Cape Romain on Nov. 24. Researchers were not able to identify the mother, but aerial surveys between Nov. 20 and 25 spotted three potential ones: 20-year-old Black Heart, 16-year-old Koala and 14-year-old Curlew.
Kim Elmslie, campaign director for Oceana Canada, called the birth of the calf a “cause for celebration and joy.”
“This new calf is a symbol of hope for a fragile whale population that only has around 370 individuals remaining and 70 breeding-age females,” Elmslie said in an email. “Last year there were 20 new calves born and tragically nine whales were killed or presumed dead, including five calves.”
Last month the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium estimated the population for the animal rose from 356 in 2022 to 372 in 2023.
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