Right whale calf dangerously entangled off North Carolina. Seen free of gear last year off Massachusetts

Right whale calf dangerously entangled off North Carolina. Seen free of gear last year off Massachusetts

Heather McCarron

Cape Cod Times
Published Jan 19, 2023 

One step forward, two steps back.

That is the ongoing plight of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, put into sharp focus this month as scientists reported a juvenile female's dangerous entanglement even as her mother bore a new calf.

With the North Atlantic right whale calving season now peaking in warmer waters off Georgia, marine scientists are eagerly counting each new addition to the population, since each one represents hope for moving the species further away from the precipice of extinction.

So it is no small measure of disheartenment that comes with the severe entanglement of a 4-year-old female identified in the North Atlantic right whale catalog as #4904. She is the daughter of a whale named Spindle, estimated to be at least 41 years old and recently seen off Georgia with her 10th known calf.

Spindle's daughter was first spotted Jan. 8 off the coast of North Carolina by an aerial survey team from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, "heavily entangled" in fishing gear. Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the young whale has sustained severe injuries as a result and they fear she may not survive.

"There were several wraps of line around the mouth and tail, with additional line trailing behind the whale," the agency reported, also detailing "numerous wounds across her body and whale lice on her head." While all whales may have lice, a large number of them on an individual indicates a failing animal.

The juvenile was last seen in Massachusetts Bay in May 2022, and was not entangled at that time.

"It's discouraging and frustrating to see yet another North Atlantic right whale entangled in fishing gear," said Gib Brogan, fisheries campaign manager at Oceana, an advocacy group that works to protect and restore the oceans by pressing for improved ocean management policies affecting fisheries, seafood, habitat protection and pollution. "This entanglement is the result of continued mismanagement of this risk. Anywhere that whales and rope intersect, deadly entanglements can occur."

Brogan and other advocates for the whales said the federal government needs "to adopt proven safeguards that will eliminate entanglement risk in times and places where right whales swim." The entangled juvenile's struggle, scientists say, highlights the need to accelerate transition to ropeless or “on-demand” fishing gear.

That effort is already well underway in Massachusetts, where conservation methods the fishing community has adopted and is continuing to incorporate have been a help to the whales. The Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association noted that Massachusetts commercial lobstermen have already helped to reduce risk to right whales by 92%. Over the last five years, the association has collaborated with the Massachusetts Lobster Foundation, and Ketcham Trap of New Bedford to develop weaker red and candy cane rope that will break at 1,700 pounds.

According to the organization, commercial lobstermen in Massachusetts have been fishing with the weakened rope for four years now without many issues. The association is continuing to work with Ketcham Trap on the gear. The Massachusetts Environmental Trust's Drive For A Better Environment program has provided money to further Massachusetts commercial lobstermen’s conservation efforts on behalf of right whales and all whale species.

Every loss is a tragic one for North Atlantic right whales

For the North Atlantic right whale population, every loss of an individual is a significant one, though there is added concern whenever a female is lost.

According to a report released in the fall by the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, only about 340 of the animals — plus or minus seven — remained during 2021. Of those, only about 72 of them are reproductively active females.

Charles "Stormy" Mayo,  director of the right whale ecology program at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, has pointed out that this equates to very low calving rates.

Adding to the concern is that females who are giving birth are doing so at greater intervals. Instead of a calving interval of three years, the trend is now closer to six to 10 years. Right whales gestate for a little longer than a year, but they don't actually reach reproductive age until they are about 10 years old. That becomes troublesome, as well, when the whales are likely to die as a result of entanglement and vessel strike injuries before they can reach that age.

Philip Hamilton, senior scientist and interim chairman of the Kraus Marine Mammal Conservation program at the New England Aquarium, said the situation with Spindle, her new calf, and her entangled daughter highlights the whales' position between opposite ends of a spectrum, from hope to setback.

Spindle, he said, is the most productive mother known, having birthed at least 10 calves in her lifetime, but the possibility of losing even one of her calves, especially a female, has a significant negative impact on recovery of the species. Reproductive females may produce more than 20 progeny, including calves and all related to them, according to Hamilton. If she survives to reproductive age, Spindle's daughter could increase the population by 6 percent.

New calves born, but not enough

At this point in the year, the calving season is around its peak. So far, said Mayo, "we've had 11 calves that have been born."

Sadly, though, one of the newborns has died. The male calf was seen alive on Jan. 3, but was found dead on Jan. 7 near Morehead City, North Carolina, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The calf, about two weeks old, appeared underweight and in poor health. It is not known what happened to his mother, but scientists said calves cannot survive very long separated from their mothers.

The calf is the 93rd whale to be added to the ongoing database of Unusual Mortality Events that the species has suffered since 2017.

According to the New England Aquarium, there are about the same number of new calves now as there were at this time last year. But scientists say those numbers are not enough to sustain the species. By comparison, an average of 23 calves were born annually in the 2000s. That number has not been seen since 2009.

“We are hoping for many more calves throughout the remainder of the calving season, and that these newborns can make it safely to their feeding grounds up north,” Hamilton said. “Amid ongoing threats from fishing gear entanglement and vessel strikes, right whales are still doing their part by calving year after year, even later in life as in the case of Spindle.”

The right whale Spindle has become a grandmother since first observed in 1982

First observed in 1982, Spindle had her last calf in 2019 — the now entangled juvenile — before giving birth to a new baby this season. Prior to that, she birthed eight calves including Vega (Catalog #2904)  and Champagne (Catalog #3904). Champagne made Spindle a grandmother in 2021.

Spindle has had one minor documented entanglement in her life, but her family members have had 12 known entanglements, according to the New England Aquarium. Champagne has experienced at least four entanglements, the last of which left significant scars.

More:Special Report: North Atlantic right whales in crisis

Aquarium research shows that more than 86 percent of right whales have been entangled at least once, some as many as nine times. One whale who has captured attention with her chronic entanglements is Snow Cone. The approximately 17-year-old whale was seen in September south of Nantucket, on her way south, struggling with her fifth entanglement.

Scientists, who noted the severe deterioration of her health, feared she was dying. Hurricane Fiona made it unsafe for a team from the Center for Coastal Studies to go to Snow Cone's assistance. She has not been seen since.

Massachusetts works to promote preservation of North Atlantic Right Whales

With an eye toward continuing to raise awareness about the plight of the North Atlantic right whale and promote their preservation, the state Legislature earlier this month declared April 24 as Right Whale Day in Massachusetts.

State Rep. Josh Cutler, D-Duxbury, was the lead sponsor of the bill, Bill H.3869, that establishes the annual event.

"Our official state marine mammal, the North Atlantic right whale, is at risk of extinction. Building awareness of their plight will help promote protection efforts and establishing this annual Right Whale Day is an important step in this process," he said.

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