The Right Whale

“The Right Whale gets its name from early whalers who considered them to be the “right” whales to hunt. Their slower pace, the fact that they come close to land, their tendency to float after being killed and their “productivity” in terms of oil made them lucrative animals to target.”  Whalers hunted 150,000 Southern right whales in the 19th century bringing their population today to less than 10,000. Between 300 and 350 North Atlantic right whales still exist, but despite seven decades of protection efforts, no population growth has been observed. In August 2009, the U.S. Navy announced that it will construct its Undersea Warfare Training Range near the only known calving ground."

WHAT YOU CAN DO

• Buy local goods that don’t require overseas shipping, helping reduce ship traffic and underwater noise in whale habitats.

• Support research and monitoring programs like the Cornell Bioacoustics Research Program, which track right whale calls and alert ships to avoid collisions.

• Advocate for and follow vessel speed limits in coastal waters frequented by right whales to reduce the risk of deadly ship strikes.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND HOW TO HELP

Visit:

• New England Aquarium

• Listen for Whales, Cornell Lab

• Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute

• NOAA