By PATRICK WHITTLE
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — One of the rarest whales on the planet has continued an encouraging trend of population growth following new efforts to protect these giant animals, according to scientists who study them.
The North Atlantic right whale now numbers an estimated 384 animals, up eight whales from the previous year, according to a report by the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium released Tuesday.
The whales have shown a trend of slow population growth over the past four years and have gained more than 7% of their 2020 population, the consortium said. This is a welcome development after a troubling decline in the previous decade.
From 2010 to 2020, the whale population fell about 25%. The whales are vulnerable to collisions with ships and entanglement in fishing gear.
The trend toward recovery is a testament to the importance of conservation measures, said Philip Hamilton, a senior scientist with the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life. The center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration collaborate to calculate the population estimate.
New management measures in Canada, designed to keep the whales safe amid their increased presence in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, have been especially important, Hamilton added.
“We know that a modest increase every year, if we can sustain it, will lead to population growth,” Hamilton said. “It’s just whether or not we can sustain it.”
Scientists have cautioned that the whale’s slow recovery is occurring at a time when the animals still face threats from accidental deaths, and stronger conservation measures are still needed.
There are also reasons to believe the whales are turning a corner in terms of reproduction. Whales are less likely to reproduce when injured or underfed—problems that have hindered the population.
However, this year, four mother whales had calves for the first time, Hamilton said. Some other established mother whales had shorter intervals between calves.
In total, 11 calves were born—less than researchers had hoped for—but the entry of new females into the reproductive pool is encouraging, Hamilton noted.
Any number of calves is helpful in a year with no mortalities detected, said Heather Pettis, who leads the right whale research program at Cabot Center and chairs the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium.
“The slight increase in the population estimate, coupled with no detected mortalities and fewer detected injuries than in recent years, leaves us cautiously optimistic about the future of North Atlantic right whales,” Pettis said. “What we’ve seen before is this population can turn on a dime.”
The whales were hunted to the brink of extinction during the era of commercial whaling and have been federally protected for decades.
Each year, they migrate from calving grounds off Florida and Georgia to feeding grounds off New England and Canada.
Some scientists say ocean warming has made this journey more dangerous, forcing whales to stray from established protected areas in search of food.
Environmental groups warned Tuesday that the whales are still on the brink of extinction and need more aggressive protection to fully recover.
“Continued attacks on the Marine Mammal Protection Act and efforts to weaken NOAA’s science-based safeguards put this fragile population at even greater risk,” said Gib Brogan, senior campaign director with Oceana. “We need Congress to uphold, not undermine, the laws, programs, and experts that give North Atlantic right whales a fighting chance for continued survival.”
https://www.twincities.com/2025/10/21/right-whale-deaths/