Two more North Atlantic right whale calves spotted

By Doug Fraser

Posted Jan 27, 2020

Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown provides details of the fifth and sixth right whale calves of the birthing season.

PROVINCETOWN — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported that the fifth and sixth right whale calves of the birthing season were spotted last week.

Harmony (catalog no. 3115) and her newborn calf were seen approximately 11 nautical miles off the St. Johns River entrance on Jan. 24, according to a posting on the Center for Coastal Studies Facebook page Monday.

Harmony is a 19-year-old female, and this is her fourth calf. Her last calf was born in 2016, the Center for Coastal Studies said.

The pair were spotted near busy shipping lanes leading into Jacksonville.

A second mother, Halo (catalog no. 3546), and her new calf were seen swimming just beyond the surf at Crescent Beach on Jan. 25.

Halo is 15-years-old, and this is her second calf. Her last calf was born in 2014.

North American right whales are among the most endangered great whale species on Earth, with around 409 individuals, and there could be as few as 70 breeding-aged females.