On Friday Nov 28, Jennifer Gentzel, spotted two North Atlantic right whales while on a fishing trip with the family, reports the Island Packet.
The right whale is the world’s most endangered large whale, so Jennifer, a Hilton Head Island resident, and here family were lucky to see two right whales swimming next to their boat.
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According to NOAA, the population is estimated to total no more than 600 right whales and out of those only 300-350 can be found in the North Atlantic Ocean.
In the winter, a small part of the population consisting of adult females and young calves migrates to a well-known calving ground in the shallow waters between Savannah, Georgia and Cape Canaveral, Florida. The peak period is December to March. Females give birth to only one calf every three to five years. Calves nurse for about nine months. Calves average 15 feet in length, and a full grown right whale can reach up to 50 feet in length and weigh up to 70 tons.
The life span and duration of reproductive activity for the right whale is not known. It’s also difficult to tell how old right whales can get. It’s believed that they live at least 50 years.
The right whale has no dorsal fin, an arched jaw, and growths on their heads called callosities. They were named right whales because the whalers thought it was the “right” whale to hunt. They swim slow, they’re big and they float when killed.
Nowadays major threats include collision with ships, distrubance by other boats, entrapment or entanglement in fishing gear, habitat degradation and pollution.
