STATEMENT: Baby right whale season is upon us

First newborn calf of the 2024-2025 calving season spotted off South Carolina’s coast

CAPE ROMAIN, S.C. –  The start of the right whale calving season has officially begun following an announcement on Friday by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission that the first right whale calf of the 2024-2025 season has been sighted. On November 24, a boater spotted a mother and calf swimming in the warm southern waters off the coast of Cape Romain, South Carolina. 

The mother has yet to be identified. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also announced that aerial surveys during the last week of November captured three potential mothers swimming off the coast of the Carolinas, which could mean more new calf sightings coming soon. 

The birth comes at a critical time for the North Atlantic right whales, whose population has declined to only around 370. There are fewer than 70 reproductive-age females remaining, making every whale mother crucial to their species’ survival. 

The leading causes of death for right whales are entanglements in fishing gear and boat strikes.Throughout 2024, four right whales died due to boat strikes and another died after being entangled. Mothers and calves are especially vulnerable to these accidents because they swim slowly and close to the surface – while their dark coloring and lack of a dorsal fin makes them difficult to spot. 

In response to the new right whale sighting, Environment North Carolina’s Advocate Emily Mason issued the following statement:

“I am beyond excited that the Carolinas get to celebrate the first right whale birth of the season right off our coast. With their population so low, every new calf is a glimmer of hope for this endangered species.

“I hope we see plenty more babies this season and can watch the population grow. But if we want to continue the celebration for centuries to come, we must protect these newborns and their mothers.”