May 28, 2024 — Whale watchers and marine biologists greet news of each North Atlantic right whale born off the Southeast coast with joy. When only 70 of the estimated 356 whales are breeding females, each birth is a big deal.
This winter brought nineteen such occasions, including four to first-time moms, reason to celebrate for sure.
Pregnant right whales migrate through commercial fishing grounds off New England and Canada and along busy shipping lanes on their journey to the calving grounds off Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. To arrive alive and deliver a calf is a crucial win for their species.
But the calving season that ended this spring was a heartbreaking reminder of the perilous future the calves and their moms face. Just four months into the new year, 2024 is already the deadliest year for right whales since 2019. Five whales have died, scientists say, including one of the new calves, and four other calves are missing and presumed dead.
Whale researchers and advocates say the whales are sliding into oblivion without the urgent protections needed to save them, but the additional proposed safety measures remain mired in controversy and delays.