North Atlantic right whales return to Florida
In November North Atlantic right whales return to the waters off of Florida’s north east coast to birth their young. People here welcome the whales with a fun festival.
Telling “her” story
There’s probably more children in a nearby elementary school, then there are female North Atlantic right whales in existence. Environment Florida Research & Policy Center joined the Right Whale Festival on Amelia Island with an educational booth highlighting the stories of several female right whales that have been through entanglement and vessel strikes while still giving birth to new calves. There are roughly 70 known reproducing whales in this population. These whales arrive in Florida each fall to give birth then leave in the spring and travel north along a migration path that leads them through some of the busiest shipping areas on the east coast. So far in 2024 we know of four deadly vessel strikes to North Atlantic right whales, including the death of whale #1905 a 35 year old female with a calf that was struck and killed in April. The calf was still nursing at the time and is also presumed dead.
Dangerous journey for right whales
To say the journey is dangerous is an understatement. The whales move extremely slowly and must navigate large and small vessels, crab traps, fishing lines and large fishing nets. This visual of an actual tagged right whale moving through shipping traffic will give you an idea of how difficult it is for them to navigate. They rest and nurse near the surface and because they are darkly colored and have no dorsal fin, they can be hard to avoid for boat captains, especially ones moving quickly. That’s why the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has put seasonal speed zones in place, to slow large boats over 65 feet down to 10 knots at certain times of the year when whales are present. Those zones have not been enough to save the right whale population from heading towards extinction so NOAA has proposed an update.
Thank you for reading. Now, we have a small favor to ask.
We stand up for the environment, and it’s people like you who make it all possible. Our staff research the issues, educate the public, and win tangible results for a greener future. Our members put grassroots support behind our research and advocacy.
Your support can make a difference. As threats to the planet grow, our work becomes more important every day. Every contribution powers our research, fuels our advocacy, and sustains our future.
Proposed rules face opposition
Shipping traffic has continued to grow and whales continue to suffer from vessel strikes. So NOAA has proposed to expand those speed zones to cover most of the east east coast and extend them to all vessels over 35 feet. That gives the captains a better opportunity to see the whales and the whales a better chance of getting out of the way. The new proposal is an effort to keep this population of right whales from extinction, but it’s facing opposition from the shipping industry. The decision deadline for this new rule has been extended multiple times. Environment Florida Research & Policy Center gathered support for the new proposed speed zones with a petition for adults and postcards for children.
Festivals are fun, but extinction is not.
As incredible as it was to celebrate Right whales with so many people, there was also a more somber thread running throughout the two days on Amelia Island. The message of the festival was clear: we should celebrate right whales, but we also need to save them – before it’s too late.
Topics
Authors
Mia McCormick
Advocate, Environment Florida Research & Policy Center
Mia is focused on fighting for clean waterways, protecting Florida’s environmentally sensitive areas, advocating for stronger wildlife protections and reducing plastic pollution on our beaches. Mia lives in the Tampa Bay area and loves taking her family on nature adventures.
Find Out More
Tell Home Depot: Protect the boreal forest
Thousands Celebrate the Annual Return of Endangered Right Whales to Amelia Island, Florida
We’re paying to clean up an oil industry mess
