North Atlantic Right Whale (Balaena Glacialis)
HABITAT: Inhabit near shore and offshore waters of the Atlantic Ocean, migrating from Florida and the Gulf of Mexico up to Labrador, Canada.
DISTRIBUTION: The North Atlantic Right Whale is found in the waters off the US; Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia. In Canada, they can be found in Labrador, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec
THREATS: Historically hunting was the biggest threat. More recently, the threat to right whales is entanglement in fishing gear (e.g. floating lobster lines) and ship strikes- whales are often hit by fast moving shipping vessels.
CONSERVATION STATUS: The North Atlantic right whale is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. It is one of the most endangered population of whales that exist across the globe with a population of between 300-400 world-wide.
INTERESTING FACTS: Right whales grow to approximately 36-59 ft and weigh 60-80 tonnes. Right whales can be distinguished from other whales by the callosities on the head and the lack of a dorsal fin. Only one calf is produced every three to five years. Generally, travel singly or in small groups of 2-3. They are slow moving whales and because of this were one of the most harvested whales in the past few centuries, hence the name right whale- they were viewed as the “right” whale to harvest.
BUSH ADMINISTRATION MEDDLING: The Ship Strike Reduction Act of 2008 would require the Bush Administration to finalize a rule establishing a ten knot speed limit for vessels over 65 feet in length in the migratory paths of right whales. The proposed rule was published in June 2006 and the draft Final Rule was sent to the Office of Management and Budget in February 2007. According to documents obtained by the Union of Concerned Scientist from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Vice President Dick Cheney’s office had raised specific objections to the expert scientific conclusions and that Mr. Cheney’s office had said, we had no evidence that lowering the speeds of large ships will actually make a difference. The oceanic officials added that they stood by their conclusions that lower speeds would benefit right whales. In a statement accompanying related legislation, Senator Kerry said: “The Bush Administration needs to stop dragging their feet, follow the best available scientific evidence, and take immediate action to protect endangered right whales. A continued delay in finalizing these protections will result in even more deaths that are easily avoidable, and push the species closer to extinction.”
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