ROUND-UP OF 2024 NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE NEWS

So far, nine calves have been added to the North Atlantic right whale population, reports Radio-Canada. Although this number is comparable to last year’s 10 births, it is not likely to catch up with what was frequently observed in the past, given the current threats to the species.

Sad news for the North Atlantic right whale population: a collision has occurred off the coast of South Carolina between a pleasure boat and one of the 9 calves born in the last year. According to an article in Le Devoir, the young whale’s survival is at stake.

Just over a year ago, an exceptional event was observed: Pilgrim, a North Atlantic right whale, gave birth to her first calf at the age of 10. Exceptional, because although sexual maturity is normally reached between 5 and 10 years of age in this species, first births are now occurring later and later in the lives of females. The culprits? Entanglement, ship strikes and climate change – stressors that directly affect the reproductive success of this endangered species.

To read the article : https://baleinesendirect.org/une-saison-des-naissances-encore-loin-de-la-cible-pour-les-baleines-noires-de-latlantique-nord/

North Atlantic right whales: getting smaller and smaller. A study reveals that these endangered whales are gradually losing body size. Science & Vie reports that, since smaller females are less likely to give birth to a calf, the decrease in body size is threatening the reproductive rate of North Atlantic right whales. The article also takes stock of the state of the species.

A young North Atlantic whale has been found dead off the coast of Georgia. Radio-Canada reports that the young female died following a collision with a boat. She had previously been spotted 10 days earlier alongside her mother. The young whale is the second of its kind to die after being struck by a ship this year. The article discusses the critical state of the North Atlantic whale population and possible solutions.