The end of 2024 came with a rollercoaster of emotions for those of us who care about the critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. In December alone, three right whales were spotted entangled in fishing gear. Unfortunately, two of the entangled whales are expected to die due to the seriousness of their injuries.Â
But with the heartbreak came a glimmer of hope – we also closed out the year with three new right whale births.Â
Two right whale calves were spotted just before New Year’s Eve
Blackheart, a 20-year-old female right whale, was seen with her second known calf off the coast of South Ponte Vedra, Florida on December 30, 2024. Remarkably, another 20-year-old female, Caterpillar, was spotted with her first known calf also off the coast of South Ponte Vedre on December 30!
Baby right whales enter this Earth at a whopping 14 feet in length. Although this may seem big, they are still just one-third of the size of their mothers. Calves cannot hold their breath for as long as their mothers, so they must remain close to the surface. This makes them exceptionally vulnerable to being hit by fast boats in the first year of their life. Their mothers, who stay close to their newborn’s side, face the same risk.Â
The survival of a calf in their first few months of life is dependent on their mother — so Caterpillar and Blackheart’s calves are lucky that their mothers are two tough cookies.
Two tenacious survivors
Not only are Blackheart and Caterpillar the same age and were spotted with a calf in the same place on the same day, they’ve also both faced numerous challenges over the course of their lives.Â
Blackheart is the daughter of Wart, a legendary right whale mom who has given birth to seven calves since 1982. Between Blackheart, her six siblings, and mother Wart, the family has endured a whopping 29 entanglements and three boat strikes. Blackheart herself has survived three entanglements, making it even more exceptional that she has had two calves.Â
Our second New Year’s mama, Caterpillar, was born to her mother, Wolf, and her father, Thorny, in 2005. Like Blackheart, Caterpillar and her family have been through a lot – they have collectively faced 38 entanglements and three boat strikes. Sadly, in 2023, Caterpillar’s brother, Catalog #3343, was killed by a boat strike.
Caterpillar’s own name is a testament to the hardships she’s endured – at just two years old she was hit by a boat and the scars from the propeller cuts create a segmented pattern that resembles a caterpillar.Â
Although she survived the accident, the old injury may create a problem for Caterpillar now, nearly two decades later. Scientists worry about the wound reopening from the birth and are keeping a close eye on her. For now, Caterpillar seems to have had a successful birth and we wish all the best to her and her new baby.Â
The birth of New Year’s baby #3 may be a good sign for the species’ recovery
Although the news is a bit older, our third end-of-year whale baby might mean we can have even more hope for the species. On December 18, 2024, Catalog #4540 was spotted with her first known calf off the coast of Virginia. The good news: born in 2013, Catalog #4540 is just 12 years old.Â
While right whales sexually mature around the age of ten, in recent years we’ve seen many female right whales delaying their pregnancies until they are older – as we saw with Caterpillar, who gave birth to her first calf at 20 years old. Scientists believe that right whales may be giving birth later and less frequently due to the stress of their environment caused by boat strikes and fishing gear entanglements.Â
That’s why it is exciting to see a young right whale like Catalog #4540 giving birth to her first calf, especially since she’s endured her share of stress from entanglements and a boat strike. If more right whales are able to have babies sooner, it could be a huge boon for the species’ survival.
2024 reminded us of the harsh reality that right whales face, but hope has not been lost
In 2024 alone, five right whales died, and seven right whales are currently seriously injured and will likely die due to boat strikes and entanglements. These numbers are damaging given the right whale population is sitting around only 370.Â
But with the deaths came new life. And the end of 2024 saw the birth of five right whales. We hope the rest of the 2024-2025 calving season brings many new babies into this critically endangered population, and we wish these beloved mothers the best of luck!
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