North Atlantic Right Whale
The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is one of the world’s most endangered marine mammals. It draws the attention of researchers and conservationists due to its unique characteristics and tragic story. Once abundant, these gentle giants now face a multitude of threats that have significantly reduced their population. This article examines their habitat, physical appearance, feeding habits, migration patterns, reproduction, and the challenges they face. It also highlights current conservation efforts for protecting them.
Physical Appearance
North Atlantic Right Whales have robust bodies, large bow-shaped heads, baleen plates, and callouses or callosities on their skin. The callosities are skin colored but appear white because they are covered in tiny white crustaceans called Cyamids.
Right Whales and Cyamids have a symbiotic relationship, where they help each other to survive and thrive in the ocean. Cyamids feed off dead skin on the whale’s callouses, which in turn provide an ecosystem for the Cyamids to live. The Cyamids are colloquially referred to as “whale lice”. This is misleading because they are not actually lice and are not harmful to right whales.
Callosities appear as white markings in distinct triangular shaped patterns on the heads of right whales. These markings, along with scars from propellers and entanglements, are key identifiers of individuals. Researchers use these markings for photo identification and population tracking. This informs our understanding of population dynamics and helps measure the ecological impacts to whales within the greater oceanic ecosystem.
Size
North Atlantic Right Whales reach between 40 to 50 feet (12-15 meters) when fully grown. Adult females are generally larger than their male counterparts. They are one of the largest baleen whales in the Atlantic Ocean. Adults can weigh up to 70 tons – that’s 154,324 pounds! Their large size if perfectly adapted to their large environment, and aids them in feeding, migration, and breeding.
Diet & Feeding Habits
Right Whales eat copepods and other small zooplankton species that thrive in the nutrient-rich waters of the Atlantic ocean. Specific types include Calanus finmarchicus and many types of Pseudocalanus, which are abundant along the east coast of North America. These tiny crustaceans provide crucial nutritional support, and sustain whales during critical life stages such as calving and nursing.
Right whales use a feeding behavior known as skim feeding. During this process, whales swim slowly with their mouths open to intake large volumes of water. They close their mouths and filter all the water out through their baleen plates. Left behind are masses of zooplankton that they then swallow. The mechanics of skim feeding illustrates the whales’ capacity to efficiently use available resources, enabling them to thrive even in conditions where food may be limited. By selectively filtering tiny organisms from substantial amounts of water, whales play a significant role in the the population dynamics of zooplankton within the marine food web.
Understanding the dietary preferences of North Atlantic Right Whales has emerged as a focal point for ecological research aimed at marine conservation. Efforts to protect habitats involve monitoring zooplankton populations, improving water quality, and placing protective restrictions on areas where whales forage in the face of threats such as water pollution, shipping traffic and climate change. All of these factors directly influence access to food and overall population health.
Lifespan
North Atlantic Right Whales can live up to 70 years of age. Their average lifespan has been greatly reduced due to human factors. Fishing gear entanglement and vessel strikes are the leading causes of death and mortality.
Reproduction
Females reach sexual maturity around the age of ten years old. Gestation is approximately 12 months long, and females will typically wait about three years between births. Recent data suggests that females are calving less frequently in recent years, perhaps every 6-10 years rather than every three, due to environmental stress.
Population Numbers
As of the latest estimates, the population of North Atlantic Right Whales currently stands around 360 individuals, 70 of which are reproductively active females. This highlights the need for ongoing marine conservation efforts and public support to reverse the downward trend and improve population numbers.
The decline in population is multifactorial, caused primarily by vessel strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, and habitat loss. With annual mortality rates often exceeding birth rates, conservationists focus on comprehensive research initiatives and management strategies to mitigate imminent threats to the population. Only through specific, targeted policy changes and active community engagement can humans hope to secure a brighter future for these whales. Everyone using and interacting with the ocean has a responsibility to follow all guidelines and be aware of right whales in their area.
Location, Distribution & Migration
The North Atlantic Right Whale primarily inhabits the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean along the contintental shelves of North America, Europe and Iceland. Right whales are occasionally observed away from land masses in deeper waters. Much like birds, North Atlantic Right Whales migrate south for winter. Migration is essential for reproduction and is driven by evolutionary adaptations to water temperature and food availability.
Right whales spend their summers in the north, where they feed and prepare for their annual migration. Summer foraging areas include New England around Massachusetts, and up to Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, the UK and Ireland.
Around late September and early October, right whales migrate south for breeding and calving. Winter breeding havens include the warm waters around South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, France, Spain and Portugal.
Understanding migratory patterns is critical for marine biology research initiatives focused on protecting populations from climate change and human threats. Recent studies utilizing satellite tracking revealed that movements of whales are significantly influenced by ocean conditions, including temperature fluctuations and prey distribution, which are both affected by climate variations. Population surveys underscore the impact of habitat degradation and increased shipping traffic, which heighten risks during migration.
Observed patterns indicate that whales may adjust their routes in response to changing sea conditions, highlighting their need for adaptable strategies in an increasingly dynamic marine environment.As a result, ongoing research efforts are essential in evaluating these factors to inform conservation strategies aimed at mitigating human impacts and ensuring the survival of this critically endangered species.
Habitat Loss and Protection
Given right whales’ dwindling numbers, protection of known feeding and calving areas is essential for recovery of the species. Both the United States and Canada have designated critical habitat areas for right whales. This means no other federal agency can destroy or adversely modify these critical habitat areas.
Specifically, these areas are waters off the coast of New England, Maine, Nova Scotia and the southeastern United States. These areas serve as vital feeding grounds during the summer months, and breeding during the winter. Shallow coastal areas play a crucial role as calving sites. These areas provide a safe environment for reproductive females to give birth and care for their young.
Preservation of these habitats is critical for the survival of the North Atlantic Right Whale. Part of habitat loss is when habitats are unlivable or too stressful for whales to thrive. Ecological research focused on these habitats highlights the need for marine conservation initiatives. The goal is to safeguard critical zones from threats such as shipping traffic and unsafe fishing activities. These efforts are essential to help ensure the long-term health and viability of the North Atlantic Right Whale population.
Threats
Historically, right whales were the “right” target of whalers, and were named ‘right whale’ for this reason. Whalers liked hunting right whales because they floated once killed and were easy to retrieve. Humans have hunted whales for thousands of years, and it was through whaling in the 1700s and 1800s that the North Atlantic Right Whale population was originally decimated. Commercial whaling wasn’t banned until 1986. Before whale populations could recover naturally, mass globalization and industrialization increased shipping traffic throughout the world. Since then, vessel strikes, climate change, ocean noise, and entanglement in fishing gear have become right whales’ new greatest threats to survival.
Vessel Strikes
Vessel strikes are a major leading cause of death in right whales. Right whales primarily live along the continental shelf. Ports down the coast of North America and Europe intersect with right whale feeding and breeding grounds. Shipping lanes that go east to west intersect migration routes running north to south. Because both ships and whales travel at the surface level of water, collisions are frequent, and frequently deadly. Vessel strikes to whales are the equivalent of trucks hitting animals on the road. The result is serious and often fatal injuries like propeller gashes, broken bones, internal bleeding, organ damage, concussions, and death.
Climate Change
Warming ocean temperatures changes the location of food availability. Whales are foragers and modify their distribution and location based on food supply. As prey populations move in response to ocean temperatures, right whales spend more time in areas void of regulations. Mothers may encounter difficulties in securing adequate nutrition to support their offspring during critical developmental stages. As right whales continue searching for and following food supplies in the coming decades, they are at greater risk for vessel strikes and entanglement. This makes reproduction even more challenging as they try to search for food and avoid danger in unregulated waters.
Noise Pollution
Ocean noise caused by shipping, boating and construction adversely affects right whale behavior. Whales are highly sensitive acoustic machines. Underwater noise interferes with their ability to navigate and identify their surroundings, communicate, mate, find food, avoid predators, and avoid manmade dangers.
Entanglements
Finally, fishing gear entanglement is so common that estimates show around 85% of right whales have personally experienced entanglement at least once in their lives. Fishing line entanglement causes deep cuts and wounds, infection, and death. Whales that get tangled often drag fishing gear forever until they either die or are disentangled by rescue teams. Time spent dragging fishing gear saps energy that whales would have for migration, breeding, feeding and calving. Physical and mental stress from entanglement is the main reason why females are having fewer calves farther apart.
Human caused threats are the reason why North Atlantic Right Whale populations continue to decline, even though they are no longer hunted. Understanding each of these challenges individually and as part of a greater whole is crucial for developing ocean management strategies. Only in doing so will they receive enough protection for their numbers to recover.
Conservation Efforts
Conservation efforts for North Atlantic Right Whales encompass comprehensive strategies implemented by organizations such as NOAA Fisheries. These strategies prioritize research initiatives, habitat protection, and public outreach programs designed to mitigate human-induced threats.
Efforts are comprehensive and widespread, but still not enough. Collaboration among conservation groups, government agencies, and local and international communities is required to address key initiatives.
Key initiatives include:
- Establishing marine protected areas
- Implementing stricter maritime laws
- Public awareness campaigns to reduce ship strikes
- Updating harmful or outdated fishing gear
- Ongoing scientific research which provides data that guides policy decisions
Additionally, collaborative partnerships among scientists, conservationists, and local communities foster awareness and promote stewardship of marine habitats. All of these collective measures help to enhance population safety, and are critical for long-term population recovery.
What You Can Do
There are several ways you can help right whales. Raise public awareness on social media, support conservation funding initiatives, and adopt sustainable practices in your immediate environment. Simple actions like encouraging responsible boating practices and emphasizing the importance of reducing plastic waste in oceans are easy for anyone to do.
If you see a right whale in the United States, report it. From Virginia to Maine, call (866) 755-6622 and from Florida to North Carolina call 877-WHALE-HELP ((877) 942-5343). You can also report to the U.S. Coast Guard via channel 16, or through the Whale Alert app.
Stay 500 yards away from all right whales, at all times. That’s the length of five football fields. These regulations apply to vessels, aircraft including drones, and watercrafts including surfboards, kayaks, and jet skis. Any vessel within 500 yards of a right whale must depart immediately at a safe, slow speed. Program the number for the NOAA Fisheries Enforcement Hotline (800-853-1964) into your phone. The ocean is a big place, so be sure to report any federal marine resource violations you see. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for anyone in the United States.
Report all sick, injured, entangled, stranded, and dead whales to the U.S. Coast Guard. Never approach a whale by yourself. There are many organizations trained and waiting to respond to these calls.
Every small effort, whether it involves volunteering time or contributing resources, fosters a culture that values wildlife protection and ensures a sustainable future for North Atlantic Right Whales.
Future Outlook
The future of North Atlantic Right Whales is uncertain. Current population figures indicate the situation is dire. Population recovery is heavily dependent on expanding and shifting critical habitat areas based on ocean temperatures, updating fishing gear, and tracking and freeing entangled whales. Policymakers and conservationists must collaborate to establish safer shipping routes. Additionally, protecting breeding grounds and restoring ecological balance are essential for whales to navigate an increasingly complex environment.
If current trends persist without significant intervention, the outlook remains concerning, and populations may continue to decline. However, if right whale population numbers begin to rise, then we know our efforts are working.