The right whale “Monarch” and her calf spotted near Sandy Neck. Photo courtesy of the Center for Coastal Studies. NOAA Permit 25740-02
BARNSTABLE – Aerial observers with the Center for Coastal Studies this past week spotted a previously undetected North Atlantic right whale mother and her calf in the waters north of Sandy Neck Beach.
The sighting is the sixth right whale calf spotted in state waters and the eleventh right whale calf spotted overall.
The calf is the fifth confirmed calf of its mother, known as Monarch, who was first spotted in 1994.
“We had just began documenting a new group of about a dozen subsurface feeding right whales when, to our surprise, a small calf suddenly surfaced in the middle of the group,” said Aerial Observer Ryan Schosberg.
“We were certain,” he said, “that the scarring on the adult whale accompanying the calf didn’t match any of the mothers previously documented this season.”
According to experts it’s very rare for observers in the northeast to be the first to document a new calf in the population when it’s outside of the typical calving habitat in the southeastern United States.
The sighting comes as conservationists and right whale advocates call for increased protection for the endangered species, whose dwindling numbers are threatened by marine vessel collisions and fishing net entanglements.
“Every calf is a lifeline for this endangered species, and this discovery wouldn’t have been possible without the skill and dedication of our aerial observers,” said Dr. Daniel Palacios, Director of the Center’s Right Whale Ecology Program.
“Confirming Monarch with a new calf in real time is a powerful reminder of what’s possible through vigilant observation and strong collaboration across the right whale scientific community.”
About Matthew Tomlinson
