The whales may enjoy a robust feeding and breeding season, according to scientists studying a critically endangered species of whale that inhabits the waters near New England.
There are an estimated 370 North Atlantic right whales in the world, making them one of the rarest whale species. The enormous creatures migrate, typically arriving in Cape Cod Bay off the coast of Massachusetts early in the winter and remaining there until mid-May.
The first two right whales of the season were spotted in the area on November 18, according to scientists from the Provincetown, Massachusetts-based Center for Coastal Studies, and the animals are finding plenty of food. According to the experts, the animals were seen consuming microscopic organisms close to the water’s surface, a habit that they typically don’t display until much later in the season.
According to Christy Hudak, a researcher with the institute, water samples taken along the right whales’ journey revealed a variety of the small crustaceans the whales enjoy eating. Calanus finmarchicus is an oil-rich crustacean that is essential to whale health, according to Hudak.
“It will be interesting to see if the food resource this year will prove a banner season for right whales in Cape Cod Bay,” Hudak said, adding that while Calanus was not the dominating species in the sample, its increased numbers are unusual for this time of year.
The second piece of good news for right whales in recent weeks is the abundance of food off New England. In October, a team of scientists revealed that the whale population grew by almost 4% between 2020 and 2023.
Between 2010 and 2020, the whale population decreased by almost 25%, which alarmed scientists and environmentalists about the possibility of extinction. Despite recent positive indications, conservationists cautioned that the species still urgently needs preservation. Less than 70 females of the species are reproductively active, which emphasizes the critical need for conservation measures, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium said in a statement.
Entanglement in commercial fishing gear and collisions with large ships pose a hazard to the whales. According to scientists, whales are more susceptible to such risks since they occasionally venture outside of protected areas in quest of food due to ocean warming.
Generations ago, the whales were common off New England, but during the commercial whaling era, their numbers were drastically reduced.
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