Second North Atlantic Right Whale Calf of 2018-2019 Season Sighted Off Florida
January 21, 2019
This photo of a North Atlantic right whale with her calf was taken from the shore at dusk so the identification of the mother as #3317 is only preliminary. Further photos are needed to confirm her identity.
credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, photographed from land
Enhanced close-up of the above image, showing the head of the calf on the right
credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, photographed from land
The second North Atlantic right whale calf of the 2018-2019 season was sighted off the coast of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida on January 13, 2019. The mother has been preliminarily identified as #3317 but pictures with more clarity will be needed to confirm this. #3317 was born in 2003 to Silt (#1817), who was seen off the coast of Florida on December 23, 2002 without a calf and was then seen again, still in Florida, on January 5, 2003 with a calf. Silt was first seen in 1988 and her most recent sighting in the New England Aquarium (NEAQ) North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog was in Cape Cod Bay on April 14, 2017.
#3317 has visited the Florida coast many times over the years and has now returned there again to give birth. This is her third calf and she last gave birth three years ago which is also good news as the average calving interval for North Atlantic right whales increased from 4.4 years in 2014 to 10.2 years in 2017[pdf]. Her calving interval is also three times shorter than that of the first new mother of the year, #2791, who last gave birth nine years ago. It gives us hope to know that at least some of them are able to give birth more frequently, a trend we desperately hope continues.
Any and all new calves are good news, especially considering the fact that none were born during the last calving season and only five were born in 2017. The species has also taken a huge hit with 20 known deaths since the spring of 2017 so repleneshing the population is key to their survival. #3317 has actually been entangled in fishing gear at least once in her life, an entanglement that occurred sometime before 2009 as evidenced by photos in the NEAQ Catalog that show scarring on the base of her tail. 83% of North Atlantic right whales have been entangled at least once and they are regularly killed by fishing gear. All three known deaths of North Atlantic right whales in 2018 were from fishing gear entanglements and at least another three were seen entangled in fishing gear off the coast of Canada and one who was seen off the coast of Georgia in early 2018 with horrific injuries that were most likely from an entanglement.
Potential mothers being killed by entanglements is not the only thing that lowers the calving rates as even entanglements that the mothers survive can reduce the amount of calves. A recent report from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) stated, "The energy demands from the drag associated with entanglement can reduce the likelihood that a female can successfully reproduce. Years between births also increases for females given the recovery period needed from the physical costs of entanglements, which can last from months to years." The mothers can be killed during this recovery period, taking not only their life but preventing the birth of any calves they may have had in the future.
So far, all of the sightings of the new calves with their mothers have occurred in the Southeast Seasonal Management Area (SMA) that requires large ships to slow down to 10 knots or less in order to reduce the chance of a ship strike. This is a good start but their entire range should be covered by a speed restriction and further limits on fishing gear with the ultimate requirement of ropeless gear. These whales face a minefield of potential dangers and deserve the best protections we can give them. They are a resilient species and the birth of these calves gives us hope for the future but much more must be done to protect them.
More Information:
2nd North Atlantic right whale calf spotted off Florida - Cape Cod Times - 1/14/2019
2018 Right Whale Report Card Update - Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life - 11/9/2018
First North Atlantic Right Whale Calf of 2018-2019 Season Sighted Off Florida - 12/29/2018
To find out more about what is happening to North Atlantic and North Pacific right whales and how we can all take actions in our everyday lives to protect them, please visit our Facts and Action sections on our website. We also post updates and pictures on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter.