The North Atlantic right whale is making a comeback with the sighting of two newborns off the US Coast. This species is severely hunted to near extinction, but hopefully, the two calves will add to their numbers.
Whales have been hunted to an extent, with many killed before whaling fleets.
A dwindling species or right whale, the North Atlantic, has hopes as two calves were spotted on the US coast. If they grow to adulthood, a female with one of her calves will be more breeding pairs to save the whales, reported CNN.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), many of the Right Whales have been hunted to low numbers. Their data indicates that about 400 are left in the oceans. It is what Jessica Powell (marine biologist) who works for NOAA fisheries to CNN said.
On December 4, one of the newborn's calves was seen off Cumberland Island, Georgia. The mother of the calf is Chiminea, thought to be 13-years old and her first birthing too. Another bit of good news is another female named Millipede, she has a baby of her own;16-year-old female right whale seen off the Vilano Beach in Florida three days ago.
Right whales usually start their calving season during mid-November and into the middle of April.
It is a fact that the population is decimated at such low levels that all breeding whales count. Having seen two calves at the start of the season is a boon, said Jamison Smith of the Blue World Research Institute (BWRI). They used drones to capture footage of the newborns.
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Jamison said that the calves hope more will be seen in the sea during the next few months. The species cannot make it independently; some assistance is needed for the species to survive. Seeing them alive and well into the future is better than stories about how they were alive.
There are several causes why whales get killed when humans and them interact. One of them is vessel strikes and getting caught in fishing gear and nets according to Powell. One thing to note is that no one should approach at least 500 yards out. It includes boats, surfers, drones, and swimmers too.
Powell expressed that the whales are struggling and the only way to save them is to work together to keep them. Advising those in the southeastern coasts of the United States to be careful when out to sea. In calving season, and looking out for very young whales especially, give space to the creatures, allowing them to be unmolested in the wild.
A misunderstood phenomenon called an unusual mortality event (UME) in the past three years has been happening. Scientists of NOAA since 2017 have been tracking whale casualties at 32 dead, some 13 were seriously injured. It is a baffling trend for marine biologists they are trying to understand.
The death of any breeding adult or any calf is a severe blow to the species with such diminished numbers. Most tragic is the loss of a North Atlantic Right whale calf on the barrier island off North Carolina.
An autopsy indicated that the calf died during birth or after.
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