Sometimes, the right whale calves seen in the Southeast US (aka SEUS, the only known calving ground) account for all the calves born that year- what you see down there is what the population gets! And sometimes, that number is added to well after the whales have migrated northward- maybe because observers weren't out surveying when those moms and calves were in the area, or those whales were outside of typical habitat or survey zones. Whatever the reason, a post-season increase is fine by us, and that's why we were excited to get word of a sighting of a new mom and calf pair for the year! This sighting brings the 2014 calf count from 10 up to 11!


The mom is Catalog #1240, named "Baldy" for her sparse callosity which makes her look bald in comparison to other right whales. The first sighting of her with this new calf was made during an aerial survey over the Great South Channel, an area east of Cape Cod.


On board the flight was Allison Henry, a Fishery Biologist with NMFS' Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), who has been an aerial observer since 2003! Allison shares her description of this day over the water with us:

"After a lack of right whale sightings in the Great South Channel for the last few years, May 8, 2014 seemed to be the day the whales came “back”! The weather conditions were perfect and there were so many whales we had to land, refuel, and head back out to make sure we photographed as many as we could while it was still light out. Despite that we still ran out of light and time!

It doesn’t get much better than flying in late afternoon light over flat calm waters with 60+ right whales skim feeding everywhere you look. Unless you add in two mother and calf pairs… and notice that one of them is not one you recognize from the list of known mothers for the year! Luckily, Baldy has such a distinctive callosity pattern, we had a strong hunch it was her before we even landed and sent the photos to the New England Aquarium for confirmation. This is not the first time the NEFSC survey team has seen a mom of the year that was not seen in the SEUS. Though it doesn’t happen often, it’s an extra little thrill to know that our effort has helped add one more whale to a slowly growing list. That’s why all the aerial survey teams fly, and for all the sad and frustrating things we see, such as entanglements or carcasses, these sightings of new calves are a huge boost to morale.

Oh, and another cherry on our whale sundae was seeing the bowhead whale [previously sighted in Cape Cod Bay] skim feeding just a few miles from Baldy and her calf. Certainly one of the best flights we’ve had in a long time!"

For more than 30 years, researchers with the New England Aquarium Right Whale Research Program have been studying the North Atlantic right whale population closely, examining various aspects of their lives including behavior, movements, reproduction, and interactions with humans, including fishing and shipping activities. It is a privilege to study such a small population and to become intimately familiar with individual animals. A real treat for researchers is when we have the opportunity to bear witness to and celebrate milestones in their lives.




To that end, we would like to wish Shackleton, Catalog #2440, a very happy 20th birthday! Born in 1994 to right whale "Wart" #1140, Shackleton caused quite a commotion as a young juvenile when he swam up the Delaware River and was hit by a tugboat. Thankfully, Shackleton survived the ordeal. In recognition of his grand adventure and his ability to survive in the face of danger, he was named "Shackleton" after the great Antarctic explorer who survived his own ordeal in exploration.



What better way to celebrate his big milestone than to sponsor Shackleton through our Right Whale Sponsorship Program! A right whale sponsorship makes a great gift for holidays, birthdays, weddings, or any special occasion. For more information on sponsoring Shackleton, visit the NEAq Right Whale Sponsorship page.