Rare right whale mother and baby spotted off shores of Palm Beach
The whales were visible from the Juno Beach Pier on Jan. 11, attracting a crowd.
North Atlantic right whales summer off New England and eastern Canada. Come fall, some head south to shallower calving grounds off of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, an area NOAA has designated as critical habitat.
The U.S. has listed North Atlantic right whales as endangered since 1970.
Commercial whaling, which was outlawed in 1986, historically decimated the species. According to NOAA, the population was increasing until 2010, and has since declined, in what they call an Unusual Mortality Event caused by the whales being struck by boats, or becoming entangled in fishing gear.
The agency says that there are less than 100 breeding females remaining, and only 57 calves have been born since 2017. Eleven new calves were born this season, including the one off Juno Beach.
NOAA says that climate change is shifting the location of the whales’ prey. “As their prey moved, the whales began spending more time in areas with fewer protections from vessel strikes and entanglements,” says the agency’s website. The whales feed on tiny marine plankton and crustaceans, often swimming through clouds of it, and siphoning it through their baleen.
In an effort to reduce mortality, NOAA states that “all vessels 65 feet or longer must travel at 10 knots or less in certain locations (called Seasonal
Management Areas or SMAs) along the U.S. east coast at certain times of the year.” These locations shift seasonally, according to whale migration. NOAA also encourages smaller vessels within the management areas to slow to 10 knots as well.
It is illegal to operate any vessel within 500 yards of a right whale.
They can be difficult to spot, and spend a lot of time near the surface, says the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The agency suggests posting a lookout on your boat. “Watch for black objects, whitewater, and splashes. Avoid boating in the dark, when visibility is poor, or in rough seas.”
The FWC suggests that “If a whale is spotted, slow down, operate at slow speed or put your engine in neutral if possible. Assess the scene and slowly leave the area while keeping watch. Never pursue or follow a whale and keep at least 500 yards from right whales (it’s the law).”
This story was produced in partnership with the Florida Climate Reporting Network, a multi-newsroom initiative founded by the Miami Herald, the South Florida Sun Sentinel, The Palm Beach Post, the Orlando Sentinel, WLRN Public Media and the Tampa Bay Times.