An endangered species of whale is experiencing a mini-baby boom in New England waters, researchers on Cape Cod have said.
The North Atlantic right whale is one of the rarest species of whale on the planet, numbering only about 411. But the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, Massachusetts, said on April 12 that its aerial survey team spotted two mom and calf pairs in Cape Cod Bay a day earlier. That brings the number seen in New England waters alone this year to three.
That’s big news because the whale’s population has been falling, and no calves were seen last year. In all, seven right whale calves have been seen so far this year.
After an unprecedented 20 deaths in 2017 & 2018, these new North Atlantic right whale calves are a glimmer of hope for a species on the brink of extinction. pic.twitter.com/4B8W6P1ijn
— Oceana (@oceana) April 12, 2019
The whales give birth off Georgia and Florida in the winter and travel to feeding grounds off New England in the early spring, including the Gulf of Maine, a body of water that touches Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and Canada.
Cape Cod Bay is part of the Gulf of Maine and is a critically important feeding ground. The animals often feed close to shore, providing watchers on land “unbeatable views of one of the rarest of marine mammals,” the Center for Coastal Studies said in a statement.
That is big news because the #Whales population has been falling, and no calves were seen at all last year. Now seven right whale calves have been seen in 2019.https://t.co/ysnT9GCmH4
— BeTheChange (@thechance2b) April 15, 2019
It’s illegal to get within 1,500 feet (457 meters) of the animals without a federal research permit, so boaters are discouraged from attempting to get close to the whales.
#MorningAddiction One of the world’s most endangered whale species is experiencing a mini baby boom off the US state of Massachusetts.Researchers at the Center for Coastal Studies have announced they have seen three North Atlantic right whale mother and calf pairs in Cape Cod bay pic.twitter.com/zXBdkuiS3R
— 91.2 Crooze Fm (@912CroozeFM) April 15, 2019