August

North Atlantic Right Whale

Eubalaena glacialis

Introduction

I've always had a certain affection for right whales. Their mouth shape is so unique and I love how rotund they are. It is always a delight whenever I come across pictures of them, because they are rather rare to see and not many people actively seek them out. But, despite their lesser popularity, the North Atlantic Right Whale is desperately in need of our attention. Currently, they are one of the most endangered whale species. Right now, there are only about 370 individuals in the world! For comparison, there are about 80,000 humpback whales alive. Even though these whales are not as interactive as other species that does not mean they are not worth protecting. Now, let's learn about them! Please check the end of the article to see my sources, and explore their articles on them yourself if you learn to love them like I do!

Behavior, Reproduction, and Diet

North Atlantic Right Whales are known to hang out in groups. These groups remain at the surface, and serve as a way for them to socialize and reproduce.They communicate with one another with low-frequency sounds like moans, groans, and pulses. They are also known to breach, which is when they leap out of the water and crash back down.

When they are 10 years old, North Atlantic Right Whale females become sexually mature. When they do mate, they have a year-long preganancy! Like all great whales, they only give birth to a single calf. With their calves, North Atlantic right whales are very tender mothers. She cares and nurses her calf for around two years, and does everything in her power to keep her baby safe. She has a lot to teach her baby! In their first year together, mom must show her baby how to breathe, dive, and navigate ocean currents. The baby will drink 150 mL of fatty milk per day, and accompany its mother on their northern migration to feeding grounds in New England and Canada. The calf will only be with its mother for two years, where she will fiercely guard it until it is ready to navigate life on its own. After around 3 years, the mom will be ready to carry and nurse another calf again. However, now, most North Atlantic Right whales are preferring to have a calf every 6-10 years.

North Atlantic Right whales are mysticetes, meaning they have baleen plates in their mouth instead of teeth. Baleen is made up of keratin (the same as human hair), and kind of looks like a hairbrush. They use their baleen to filter-feed. So, a whale will swim with its mouth open through a large patch of copepods and other zooplankton, and the baleen will catch the food and strain out the water. They can eat 2,200-5,500 lbs of food every single day! Their main feeding ground is in the North Atlantic, and after giving birth in the southeast US, they make the trek up there.

Fun Facts!

You can use their ear wax to estimate their age (after they've died though..)!

Because they venture into cold areas, their fat layer (blubber) can be as thick as 12 inches.

Their farts (plumes) fertilize the ocean by feeding phytoplanktons. Then, those phytoplanktons produce 50% of the world's oxygen.

Males can make a sound that sounds like a gunshot.

They are such slow swimmers! They have an average speed of just 1 mile per hour.

Those rough, white bumps on their head are called callosities. Each whale actually has a unique pattern of callosities, which scienists use to identify them!

Conservation Status

As previously mentioned, they are only around 370 North Atlantic Right whales in the wild. Only around 70 females are reproductively active.. So, what's going on? Their populations were decimated during whaling times. Due to their slow speed and large stature, they made easy targets for the oil and "whalebone" (actually their baleen) industry. They struggled to increase their populatons. In the modern era, they are enduring an Unusual Mortality Event, and deaths are outpacing births. They are facing entanglement in fishing gear, vessel strikes, and climate change. When a whale gets tangled in fishing gear, it can weaken and most of the time, kill them. The whale cannot get out of the net itself, and the net digs into their bodies leaving lasting scars and wounds. Most entangled whales starve to death. Their migration route also aligns with commercial shipping routes and they are often hit by vessels. Climate change, as most people know, is warming up the ocean, which is changing their feeding grounds. As their feeding grounds change, these whales struggle to find food. A lesser known threat to most great whales is human noise. Humans make so much noise underwater, in the form of shipping, construction, seismic surveys, and others. These can intefere with their communication and ability to navigate the sea.

What can we do? There are organizations like NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) that work with the government to find ways of protecting their habitats and rescuing whales. Personally, I think the best thing you can do is donate to these organizations, or even better, work for them! Some organizations that contribute to North Atlantic Right Whale conservation are: NOAA, North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, and WDC.

★ here's our cetacean of the month!