Where have all the calves gone?
‘It’s actually heartbreaking’: No baby right whales seen in calving grounds
Not one North Atlantic right whale calf has been spotted in the species’ usual breeding grounds, raising fresh concern over the long-term fate of the endangered mammals following a record number of deaths last year.
Clay George, a biologist with Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources, said Monday that the whales tend to give birth off Georgia and Florida from December until the end of March, with the peak period being in January and February.
But, he says coastal surveys have not turned up one mothercalf pair — a grim discovery after one of the highest mortality rates for the imperilled animals in recent history.
“We’re kind of running out of time at this point to see them with calves and every day that goes by, it gets a little more concerning,” he said from Brunswick, Georgia.
“And it’s concerning mainly because of the high level of mortality that’s been occurring over the last year.
“When deaths start exceeding births, then the population is going to decline and that’s where right whales appear to be at this time.”
At least 18 North Atlantic right whales were found dead in Canadian and U.S. waters over the last year — dropping the global population to less than 450.
It’s suspected that many of them died after getting ensnared in fishing gear or hit by large vessels as they transited from southern waters into the Gulf of St. Lawrence and other areas.