9 endangered North Atlantic right whale calves have been spotted in first month of season - Daytona Beach News-Journal

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North Atlantic right whale calving season is off to a bright start, with nine mother-calf pairs already spotted off the coast from Florida to South Carolina.

Fewer than 350 of the whales remain and the critically endangered species is currently dying at a faster rate than they can reproduce, so each birth is a cause for celebration.

"It's really too early to say what kind of a season we're going to have," said Tom Pitchford, a wildlife biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Research Institute.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates it would take 20 new calves born this year just to hold the population steady.

That's only happened twice in the past decade, though it was once a regular occurrence. Only 70 reproductively active North Atlantic right whales remain alive, researchers estimate.

"We need to do everything we can to reverse that trend and get them on an upward path," Pitchford said.

The North Atlantic right whale is rapidly approaching extinction because of human impacts, according to Amy Knowlton, a senior scientist at the New England Aquarium who has studied the creatures for decades.

"There's always a question of why should we put so much effort into saving this one species," Knowlton reflected. "I feel like it's a moral obligation. With financial support and societal will, we can really change the trajectory out there for right whales and many other species impacted by our use of the oceans."

If the wake-up call is not heeded, Knowlton said she worried "all bets are off for preventing other extinctions of marine mammals."

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'Snow Cone' gave birth to a calf, but remains entangled

The species is carefully monitored by state, federal and nongovernmental entities. Aerial surveys begin in late November, with researchers from North Carolina to Florida flying in parallel lines along the coast searching for the whales.

"Those aircraft are flying daily surveys in the calving ground," Pitchford said.

They've sighted dozens of whales already, most off them off the Florida coast, the southernmost extent of the species.

The first North Atlantic right whale spied in the state was caught on camera by a group on a sailboat offshore near the St. Augustine Inlet on Nov. 28, before flights began in the state.

Less than a week later, a 17-year-old whale nicknamed Snow Cone captured the hearts of whale watchers when she was spotted with her new calf swimming playfully among the fishing lines stuck to her head.

Snow Cone has two ropes trailing out of her mouth that appear to be wrapped around a segment of baleen plates on the right side.

It was worse when first noticed in March, but researchers monitoring the pair believe it is no longer life-threatening.

"The fact that she was able to give birth at all was because she was the subject of several disentanglement attempts. Had she not been disentangled, I do not think she would have survived. She certainly wouldn't have been able to carry a calf to full term," Knowlton said.

Snow Cone's tragic life is somewhat emblematic of the threats facing the species. Her only other known calf washed ashore in June dead after being struck by a boat.

How can the North Atlantic right whale population be saved?

An unusual mortality event was declared for North Atlantic right whales in 2017 and is considered ongoing, with the primary causes identified as entanglements in fishing gear and collisions with ships.

"The more we can do to control those two factors the better," Pitchford said.

"I think there's more work to be done on the federal level," Knowlton said.

In 2008 in the Southeast, large boats were restricted to a max speed of 10 knots or 11.5 mph.

"We have the seasonal speed restrictions for vessels over 65 feet. I think that's been great, a really valuable regulatory change," Knowlton said.

However, smaller vessels have also struck and killed the animals.

In the 1990s, the fishing industry began using ropes made of polymers with roughly double the strength, which Knowlton said greatly increased the severity of injuries to whales that become entangled.

"More than 85% of the population has scarring that indicates they've had an entanglement," Knowlton said. "It's a pretty chronic problem these animals are facing and we are seeing an increased rate of severe injuries. There's just a lot more exposure of the whales to more gear and stronger ropes and I think that combination has been very tough on the species."

Seasonal fishery closures have been instituted in the Northeast and weak points are required in lines. If a whale becomes entangled, Knowlton said it's unlikely it will survive beyond three years.

Ropeless fishing could have potential, she added.

"That's an amazing technology that's come a long way in the past few years. Still a few kinks to work out but I think that would be an amazing solution," she said. "Weak rope should be mandated broadly until ropeless technology becomes a viable solution."

The sublethal impacts are still being teased out, she said, noting that entangled North Atlantic right whales are less likely to reproduce and may have longer calving intervals. Juveniles are growing smaller than they once did, a newly published study revealed.

All the new North Atlantic right whale calves of the 2022 migration season

The whales, which can top 50 feet and 100,000 pounds, come to the Sunshine State annually to give birth in the warmer waters.

"The theory is the calves have less blubber," Knowlton said. "(The mothers) are not feeding when they're down there, so they have to be in good shape to get down, but they lose a lot of weight in the process. When they come back north the moms are generally quite skinny but the calves are nice and fat."

Among the more than three dozen visuals sightings in the Southeast this migration season, nine mother-calf pairs have been counted. They include:

• Slalom: This 39-year-old grandmother was seen off South Carolina on Dec. 2 with her sixth documented calf. It's been 11 years since she last gave birth.
• Snow Cone: Snow Cone was eyed off Georgia on Dec. 2 with her second known calf. The 17-year-old mom is entangled in rope, despite several disentanglement efforts by researchers. She lost her calf last year to a vessel strike.
• Mantis: Mantis popped up off Georgia on Dec. 10 with her seventh documented calf. She is 36.
• Braces: This 24-year-old was spied off Florida on Dec. 16 with her second known calf.
• Silt: Silt was spotted off Florida on Dec. 16 with her fifth known calf. She is 34 years old.
• Arpeggio: This 25-year-old mama was seen Dec. 10 off South Carolina with her third documented calf.
• Derecha: This female was spotted in New Smyrna Beach with her fifth documented calf on Dec. 18. She is at least 28 years old.
• Whale #3430: This unnamed mom was eyed by the aerial survey team in Florida also on Dec. 18. She is 18 and this is her second known calf.
• Tripelago: This female was eyed Dec. 26 off the Georgia coast. At 26, this is her fifth calf.

The whales are identified by the white patches on their skin, which form distinctive patterns that show up in bright contrast against their dark skin.

"If you take a picture of a right whale they're catalogued. They're uniquely identifiable by what we call callosities," Pitchford said.

The white color comes from the crustaceans that inhabit their rough, calloused skin.

North Atlantic right whales can be found right now anywhere from Newfoundland to Florida. They spend much of their time submerged, so their lives remain a bit of a mystery.

"They are difficult therefore to study but there's a tremendous effort all the way from Canada to North Carolina to Florida studying them and adding to what we know," Pitchford said. 

Identify a North Atlantic right whale with these 5 steps

It is against the law to come within 500 yards of a North Atlantic right whale.

"If there's any question, it's probably a good idea to back up and give them more space than they already have," said Julie Albert, coordinator of the Marine Resource Council's North Atlantic Right Whale Conservation Program.

The rule applies whether your boat is moving or not.

However, if you can stay a safe distance away and film the animal, Albert said there are five physical characteristics to look for to determine whether it is a North Atlantic right whale:

1. Look at the skin: They have pitch black skin with rough white patches on their heads. 
2. Do you see a dorsal fin? If so, it's not a right whale. They have no fin on their backs.
3. Inspect the tail: Right whales' tails are black on both sides.
4. Take a look at their flippers: North Atlantic right whales have stubby pectoral flippers that, like their tails, are also black on both sides.
5. Is it coming up to breathe? Take a look at their spout. North Atlantic right whales shoot water out of their blowholes in a V-shaped pattern. The spout looks like it's going in two directions. "No other whales around here do that," Albert said.

Get trained on how to spot whales:

Julie Albert will be delivering an outdoor lecture at the Marine Discovery Center on Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. Registration is not required. Just show up!

520 Barracuda Blvd. in New Smyrna Beach.

Report North Atlantic whale sightings

There are three ways to report sightings:

• Radio the Coast Guard: In a boat? Dial up the Coast Guard on Channel 16.
• Call NOAA: 877-942-5343
• Call the Marine Resources Council hotline: 888-97-WHALE