Rare North Atlantic North Atlantic right whale calf expected to die from injuries
A rare North Atlantic whale calf spotted off the coast of South Carolina is expected to die after its head, mouth and lips were split open, likely by a boat propeller, officials said.
The calf was seen with its mother on January 3 with serious injuries and “will likely die as a result,” the spokesperson said. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a statement on Wednesday.
North Atlantic right whales usually forage and breed within 50 kilometers of the east coast of the United States and in Atlantic Canada, scientists say. The critically endangered species’ habitat overlaps with shipping lanes and other human activities, making it vulnerable to ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear.
“These are identifiable, preventable threats, and they are caused by humans,” said Regina Asmutis-Silvia, executive director and senior biologist at Whale and dolphin conservation. “So there is a certain responsibility on us to mitigate this.”
For centuries, the whale’s slow pace, tendency to float when harpooned and thick blubber, used in soap, leather and cosmetics, made them easy targets for whalers, earning their name as the ‘right whale to to hunt’. The species was already hunted 9th century. The practice continued until it was banned in 1935 to control the dwindling population.
But man-made accidents in the ocean continue to threaten the species. There are fewer than 360 North Atlantic right whales, researchers estimate.
Conservation groups have unsuccessfully petitioned the federal government over the years to tighten ship speed regulations to protect the whales. Under current rules, most ships over 65 feet in length must travel at a speed of 10 knots or slower in certain zones along the southeastern and mid-Atlantic oceans of the United States from November through April.
Several North Atlantic right whales have been killed in ship attacks in recent years. The New England Aquarium said the latest strike was the 14th in U.S. waters since 2008 that resulted in death or serious injury.
In 2021, a calf was found dead near St. Augustine, Florida, with deep propeller wounds. Defenders of the wild said. His mother, named Infinity, was also seen with wounds from the same attack, but was not seen again.
The New England Aquarium said the calf was the eighth born to a female whale named Juno. The pair were first seen on November 28 near Georgetown, SC, and last seen healthy on December 9 near Amelia Island, Florida. The calf was one of nine documented along the southeast coast during this calving season, which lasts from December to March. .
NOAA urged boaters to report sightings of the calf and other whales while staying outside the legally required 500-meter radius. Data from the sightings could lead authorities to ask ships to slow down in areas where the whales have been found, Ms Asmutis-Silvia said.
“The biggest frustration is that this is preventable and there is a viable solution that doesn’t take boats out of the water,” she said of the injured calf. “The fact that politics, for whatever reason, does not allow this is very frustrating.”
Biologists say North Atlantic right whales are critical to the aquatic ecosystem because they promote the growth of phytoplankton, microscopic organisms that form the foundation of the marine food web.
Whales bring nutrients that phytoplankton need, such as iron, phosphorus and nitrogen, to the ocean surface where they grow, and in turn help feed other life in the ocean.
“They play a really cool role, which is the ocean gardeners, because they use the ocean surface for toilet breaks,” Ms Asmutis-Silvia said.