On Jan. 13, at 5:45 p.m., a rare sight took place off the coast of Ponte Vedra. The presence of a North Atlantic right whale calf was identified, only the second one spotted this winter.
The sighting of a whale off the coast might seem noteworthy, but not spectacular. When considering a recent technical memorandum issued from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in September 2018, however, the presence of a calf seems more like finding a needle in a haystack as big as, well, the ocean.
The memorandum stated that there were only 411 known North Atlantic right whales left. Of that, only five calves were born in 2018. Unfortunately, 19 right whale deaths were reported that year as well, with the cause of death divided between ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. Between the lack of births and rate of deaths, the population “could decline past the point of no return in just a few decades,” according to the memorandum,
The good news is that there is a way everyone can help.
The Marine Resources Council (MRC)’s North Atlantic Right Whale Conservation program is hosting a class on Saturday, Jan. 26 in Ponte Vedra to help train and educate participants in spotting these highly endangered animals.
Julie Albert, the coordinator of the program, said reporting sightings can be critical for conservation efforts. Not only do the sightings help track migrations routes, they can also help researchers gather photo ID and collect genetic and behavioral data.
“All this stuff plays into laws like slowing the ships down in areas where we know right whales are,” Albert said. “They've shifted shipping lanes in and out of ports. A lot of this is because we know what areas the whales are using because we can say we’ve documented one in that place at a certain time of day. That’s how habitats are established in those areas where the laws are in place. We wouldn’t be able to do all that if people weren’t telling us where they see the whales.”
Unfortunately, ship collisions are one of the reasons that the whales haven’t recovered significantly in population since the 1930s, when they got international protection from whaling ships. At the time, it was estimated that there were fewer than 100 left, according to Albert.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) states that the initial devastation to the species was caused by the demand for their oil and baleen (filter-feeder system in the whale’s mouth), which were used to light lamps and to make corsets, buggy whips and other popular items of the day. In the 1850s, whaling was the fifth-largest U.S industry, hosting 735 ships that hauled in 8,000 whales, according to a PBS News Hour article. Most of those whales were North Atlantic right whales who were even named for being the “right” whale to hunt.
By reporting sightings, Albert said they in turn can send that information to all ships in the area, alerting them to slow down. Since right whales only travel about 6 miles per hour, notifying ships of their presence can potentially save their lives.
According to Albert, a few things beachgoers can watch out for are:
• Rough, white patches of skin on the head called callosities
• Short, stubby, black flippers on the sides of the body
• Triangular, black tail with smooth edges and a deep notch in the middle
• No dorsal fin
• V-shaped blow of water when they exhale
Also, Albert asks that the spotter look for any ropes or buoys that might be attached or following the whale. Many times, a whale can get entangled with debris, which is potentially fatal for them. In the event of an entanglement, Albert said they can initiate a response team to aid in cutting it free.
She also noted that it is imperative that people do not approach the animal. There is a 500-yard approach law that requires people to not get any closer to the whale than that.
Most importantly, any observers should report sightings of right whales to the call-in hotline (below) so that Albert and her team can work to protect it.
“I feel like as a human, after everything that they've been through that (we) have done to them, that we owe something back to them.” Albert said. “A lot of people put human characteristics on them when they see them interacting with calves. There is definitely a human quality to them. But I think it’s mostly that they have every right to be here as much as we do.”
The Jan. 26 class will be held at the GTMNERR Visitor Center in Ponte Vedra, formally known as the Environmental Education Center, from 1:30 to 2 p.m. Attendees will learn about whale history, conservation and spotter training. For anyone unable to attend the class, more information and a spotter training video can be found on the Marine Resources Council website at savetheirl.org.
In the event of a sighting, call the whale sighting hotline at 888-97-WHALE (888-979-4253) as soon as possible.
