The waters off Georgia’s coast are playing host to one of nature’s most precious spectacles this winter. North Atlantic right whales have returned to their vital calving grounds, bringing hope amidst struggle for one of the world’s most endangered large whales. These magnificent creatures, weighing up to sixty tons, are making their annual journey to the coastal waters between Georgia and northern Florida to give birth to the next generation.
Yet for every moment of triumph, this season reveals the crushing reality these whales face. The statistics tell a sobering story that goes far beyond simple numbers.
A Species on the Brink of Extinction
There are approximately 372 individuals remaining, including about 70 reproductively active females, making North Atlantic right whales one of the most endangered marine mammals on the planet. On October 22, 2024, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced that the North Atlantic right whale population estimate for 2023 was 372 (95% credible interval ranging from 360 to 383) individuals.
The numbers become even more alarming when you consider reproductive capacity. Today, there are approximately 372 North Atlantic right whales in existence, with fewer than 70 reproductive-age females in the population. Female numbers are declining more rapidly than males, and the corresponding loss of reproductive potential leads to an alarming concern about an increasing risk of extinction.
The Importance of Georgia’s Waters
The waters off coastal Georgia and north Florida are this species’ only known calving grounds. This makes Georgia’s coastal area absolutely crucial for the species’ survival. Each fall, some right whales travel more than 1,000 miles from these feeding grounds to the , coastal waters of their calving grounds off of South Carolina, Georgia, and northeastern Florida, though migration patterns vary.
The waters provide several advantages for mother whales and their newborns. The habitat relationships were unimodal, with peak sighting rates occurring at water temperatures of 13 to 15°C and water depths of 10 to 20 m. These conditions offer protection from predators and provide calmer waters for vulnerable calves to learn essential swimming and feeding skills.
The 2024-2025 Calving Season Results
During the 2024– 2025 season, 11 new mother and calf pairs were spotted, with the eleventh calf first seen off of Cape Cod. The season brought both hope and heartbreak for researchers monitoring these precious births. While this was fewer calves than hoped for, there were a few bright spots: this year’s group included four first-time mothers, and three mothers had relatively short calving intervals of four years between births.
On December 1, 2024, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute saw right whale #2413 “Nauset” and her calf about 6 miles off Sapelo Island, Georgia. This marked the beginning of what would become an emotionally charged season for whale watchers and researchers alike.
First-Time Mothers Bring Hope
Among the most encouraging developments this season was the appearance of several first-time mothers. She is 20 years old and this is her first known calf. The average age of first calving is anywhere from 7 to 10 years old, so 20 years old is much older than normal. This delayed reproduction reflects the stress and challenges facing the population.
Congratulations to North Atlantic right whale Catalog #4540 – at 12 years old, this is her first-ever calf! Her own mother, sister, and niece are all still alive and giving us hope for the species. These family connections demonstrate the importance of each individual whale’s survival for the entire population.
The Deadly Threat of Ship Strikes
Endangered North Atlantic right whales are at heightened risk for vessel strikes because they spend a lot of time at or close to the water surface. Vessel strikes are a primary threat to the species. The waters where whales calve also happen to be near some of the busiest shipping lanes on the East Coast.
Mothers and calves are particularly at risk: in 2024 alone, vessel strikes in the Southeast and the mid-Atlantic killed a newborn calf, a juvenile female, and a mother-calf pair. Nonfatal vessel strikes often leave surviving whales weakened, bearing painful scars. The vulnerability of mothers and calves during this critical period makes vessel strikes especially devastating.
Entanglement Crisis in Fishing Gear
Entanglement in fishing ropes attached to gillnets and traps on the ocean floor is one of the greatest threats to North Atlantic right whales. Becoming entangled in fishing gear can severely stress and injure a right whale. Being entangled slows down the whale, decreases its overall fitness, and can lead to a long and painful death.
The statistics surrounding entanglement are staggering. Studies suggest that more than 85 percent of North Atlantic right whales have been entangled in fishing gear at least once. About 60 percent have been entangled multiple times. Biologists also believe that injuries and stress caused by long-term entanglements is one of the reasons that females are calving less often.
The Ongoing Unusual Mortality Event
An Unusual Mortality Event was declared for North Atlantic right whales in 2017, and currently includes 157 individuals (41 dead, 39 seriously injured, and 77 sublethally injured or ill). The primary causes of the UME are entanglements in fishing gear and vessel strikes in both U.S. and Canadian waters, which are long-standing threats to the recovery of the species.
This ongoing crisis represents more than twenty percent of the entire population. Since 2017, when the Unusual Mortality Event began, at least 45 right whales have been confirmed dead or observed seriously injured due to entanglement, with estimates suggesting the true number is likely closer to 100 due to unobserved deaths.
Research and Monitoring Efforts
Each winter, DNR’s Wildlife Conservation Section partners with the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to conduct aerial and boat-based surveys for right whales off Georgia and northeast Florida. Biologists take photographs of the unique white patterns on each whale’s head – a method called photo-identification – which are used to determine calf production and estimate population size, trends and other demographic data. Staff also collect skin samples from newborn calves for genetic research, and document and respond to reports of injured, entangled and dead whales.
This is the time of year when Thompson and her colleagues work to identify the whales and get biopsy samples of the calves. They use genetic information from those samples to track the whales into adulthood and add to the growing genetic picture of the right whale population. Sometimes, researchers are able to get other information too, like hormone levels, that contribute to a better understanding of right whales and their lives. “It is always piecing together the best available methods to be able to track the species and identify them in our area,” she said.
Conservation Challenges and Opportunities
The path forward requires unprecedented cooperation between multiple agencies and stakeholders. As the federal agency charged with recovering the North Atlantic right whale, we are committed to recovering the species by significantly reducing risks from entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes. The Marine Mammal Protection Act provides a structure, through the Take Reduction Process, for stakeholder voices to be heard and the opportunity for entanglement risk reduction innovation to come from the people who will be most affected by future regulatory action. Under the Endangered Species Act, we manage the threats that North Atlantic right whales face, including the risks of vessel strikes, to facilitate their recovery.
The good news is that the North Atlantic right whale has proven to us in the past that it can bounce back and recover, if we give it the opportunity. This statement from Georgia Department of Natural Resources senior wildlife biologist Clay George captures both the challenge and the hope surrounding these remarkable creatures.
The Future Hangs in the Balance
According to NOAA, 20 newborns in a calving season would be considered a relatively productive year based on the current number of females. However, 50 or more calves are needed per year for multiple years to stop the decline and allow for recovery. With only eleven calves born this season, the species remains far short of what’s needed for population stability.
Recent seasons have produced fewer calves than needed, far below the 30-35 calves a year required to keep the population stable, according to the modeling. And five of last year’s calves are known to have died. These losses underscore the fragility of each new birth and the urgent need for comprehensive protection measures.
The waters off Georgia continue to serve as nature’s nursery for one of the ocean’s most magnificent creatures. Every mother whale that successfully navigates the treacherous journey to give birth in these protected waters represents both triumph and tragedy. Triumph in the miracle of new life, tragedy in knowing that the odds are stacked against these calves surviving to adulthood. As researchers continue their vital work documenting each precious birth, the fate of the North Atlantic right whale hangs precariously between hope and extinction. What will it take to tip the balance toward recovery? Time is running out to find the answer.
Hi, I’m Andrew, and I come from India. Experienced content specialist with a passion for writing. My forte includes health and wellness, Travel, Animals, and Nature. A nature nomad, I am obsessed with mountains and love high-altitude trekking. I have been on several Himalayan treks in India including the Everest Base Camp in Nepal, a profound experience.
