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Did you know?

1. North Atlantic right whales are one of the most endangered species on our planet, Earth.

2. Right whales are called “Right” whales because they tend to be friendly and curious, they swim rather slowly and like to swim near the surface where they are in danger of getting hit by boats. This made them an easy target for hunters who hunted them for centuries for their high blubber content which made them float when dead. Their rich oils were needed for lamps. These majestic whales were dubbed, the “Right” whales to hunt.

3. Right whales are skim-feeders which means they have bristly baleen (like our fingernails) that acts like a giant strainer and filters their food from the water. They swim along the surface of the water with their mouths open and can eat around 2,600 pounds of zooplankton, also called copepods, every day.

4. Scientists are able to identify each right whale by the white spots on their heads. The white spots are called callosities. Scars from previous injuries are also used to help identify whales.

5. The Southeast U.S. Marine Mammal Stranding Network will send trained professionals to respond to reports of endangered, entangled, injured or dead whales.

6. The main causes of death and injuries for right whales are ropes, netting and crab trap lines, which are also responsible for killing sea turtles, dolphins and other sea creatures. This is why it is important to promote safe netting laws that require “ease of release” netting so whales and dolphins can disentangle themselves. The idea is to prevent them from getting entangled in the first place. Contact with large ships and boats can cause great bodily harm and death.

7. North Atlantic right whales have been documented traveling thousands of miles dragging ropes and netting along with them, which impedes their ability to eat and swim effectively, thus causing a slow death by starvation or drowning. Right whales usually get entangled in the northern states where crabbing is prevalent. They don’t typically become entangled in Florida but arrive here already entangled.

8. There are less than 320 North Atlantic right whales left alive today in our oceans. This is very alarming. There are less than 90 female right whales able to give birth and they only have babies every 3-5 years, as it takes nearly 12 months of gestation period before a baby whale is born.

9. A newborn baby whale can weigh up to 2,000 lbs. and a mature adult North Atlantic right whale can weigh as much as 120,000 pounds, which is sixty (60) tons!

10. North Atlantic right whales live up north in Canadian and New England waters, where they mate. During the winter months, they migrate to the warmer waters of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida when they are ready to give birth to their calves. During the months of November through March they can be spotted along the East coast along the shores just beyond the breakers.

11. If a newborn calf becomes separated from its mother, it will die.

12. Right whales can stay under water for up to 60 minutes but they still need to come up for air just like dolphins.

13. North Atlantic right whales can live up to 70 years, perhaps even up to 100 years if they are able to avoid contact with large fishing vessels and ropes, marine debris and crab traps.