Featured Image Credit: WhalesAndMarineFauna
Baby New Year made a splash early in 2017 for the endangered North Atlantic right whales. The group welcomed a calf on New Year’s day. The 30-year-old mother is lovingly and numerically known as #1711, with this bouncing baby joy making it her 3rd calf to date. North Atlantic right whales are highly endangered with only 450 members left in their population.
The Sea to Shore Alliance spotted the mother and calf just a couple of miles off the coast of little St. Simon Island on January 1st. Every year the whales migrate from their feeding grounds up near New England and Canada to their birthing grounds off the coast of Georgia and Florida.
Starting on December 1st, the Sea to Shore Alliance’s ariel survey team starts scouting the whales with a drone. Clay George, who is a wildlife biologist for Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources, commented, “Finally, we couldn’t think of year where there wasn’t one seen in December.”
Researchers are estimating that the birthing shift is related to the higher than normal water temperature for December. George stated, “Water temperature can impact how far south they go. We’re wondering if in extremely warm years they calve in the Carolinas.”
Melanie White, along with 3 other researchers, heads up the Sea to Shore Alliance’s ariel survey team on St. Simon December-March. The 4 researchers only scouted 8 days in December, but Melanie was left optimistic, “We’re still on par for a potentially good season. Just a little delayed.”
With the good news, comes some bad news… but at least it ends on a happy note. Last Thursday, the researchers spotted Ruffian, a 13-year-old right whale male who was entangled in fishing debris. The researchers put a tracker on him and returned Friday morning with the proper equipment to free him. Just 30 miles off of the Florida/Georgia line, the team was able to cut away the heavy rope that ran through Ruffian’s mouth and down the length of his body. George estimated that the right whale had been entangled for several weeks. The Georgia DNR shared a video of the debris:
Researchers have developed a “cataloging” system for right whales based on their bumpy white marking s called callosities. Monitoring calves, however, is a more involved process because they do not display marking until after their first year of life. George makes the intimidating process of collecting the skin and blubber sample sound like a breeze. In a 20-foot inflatable vessel, the researchers approach the bus-sized mammal and her calf and then fire an arrow with a cylindrical/hollow tip that collects the blubber biopsy.
Did you know that the North Atlantic right whale is the state marine mammal of Georgia? To bring attention to these beautiful beasts, locals are opting to name a day in December, “Right Whale Day.” One Hundred Miles is a Brunswick based non-profit and they’ve made it their mission to raise awareness around Georgia’s coastal culture and identity.
Paulita Bennett-Martin, who is the chief of coastal advocacy for One Hundred Miles, commented, “Through official recognitions at coastal town and city levels, the north Atlantic right whale becomes topic for discussion and awareness, which leads to new fans of this unique megafauna which needs fans now more than ever.”
With a magnificent megafauna calling Georgia’s coastline home, we’re glad to see that local officials and volunteers are working hard to raise awareness about the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale.
Want to learn more about Georgia DNR’s efforts?