Click here to learn more about the Georgia Conservancy’s ongoing “Go Slow, Whales Below” marina signage campaign.
The North Atlantic Right Whale
Georgia’s state marine mammal, the North Atlantic right whale, is also the most endangered large whale species on Earth.
Photo of North Atlantic Right Whale and Calf - GA Dept. of Natural REsources
Range of North Atlantic Right Whale, COurtesy of Oceana
Each winter, the warm waters of the Georgia coast beckon our blubbery friends from the north. Arriving in late November and early December, calving North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) make their annual journey from the frigid seas of New England and Nova Scotia to give birth and rear young off of the temperate Atlantic coast of Georgia and Florida, the species’ only known calving ground. Since 1981, when these beautiful creatures were first spotted along our coast, each calving season has been met with great anticipation, and often anxiety, by right whale supporters.
With fewer than 350 North Atlantic right whales estimated left in the wild, the species is the world’s most endangered large whale and lingering on the brink of extinction. After the hunting of right whales was banned in the 1930s, the population saw a steady increase from its lowest estimated population of 100. However, that trend has reversed in recent years. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in documenting Unusual Mortality Events, between 2017 and 2022 “92 right whale deaths, serious injuries and morbidity (sublethal injuries/illness) cases in U.S. and Canadian waters”. The species has an increasingly low birth rate, this is not a net positive equation.
Successful reproduction is a challenge for the North Atlantic right whale. Female right whales reach reproductive maturity at around 10 years of age. Historically, the species can give birth to only one calf every three to five years, yet increased trauma from entanglement and ship strikes have increased this interval to nearly 10 years. With an estimated population of less than 100 breeding females, every birth is a cause for celebration.
The life of a North Atlantic right whale is fraught with danger. And the leading causes of death are related to human activities: vessel collisions and fishing gear entanglement. Of the eight confirmed North Atlantic right whales deaths this summer in Canada, three of those deaths were the result of ship strikes. Additionally, NOAA has estimated that more than 85% of all North Atlantic right whales have been entangled in fishing gear at least once.
Another human activity, seismic air-gun blasting, which is used in the search for oil and gas below the ocean floor, is an emerging threat to the North Atlantic right whale.
For more detailed information on the North Atlantic right whale and the work being performed to save the species, please visit: https://oceana.org/RightWhaleToSave
NARW Fast Facts
A juvenile right whale breaching 10 miles east of Sea Island, Georgia on February 5, 2012. Photo by Georgia DNR, NOAA Permit #15488.
Estimated population of fewer than 350 individuals
Females reach reproductive maturity at age 10
Adults average of 35-55 feet long and can weigh up to 70 tons
Georgia’s State Marine Mammal
Current NARW Outreach Efforts
History Meets Innovation for the Black Sea Bass Fishery:
Ropeless fishing gear for black sea bass in support of Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction
Georgia fisheries are leading the way in the use of “ropeless” fishing gear otherwise known as subsea buoy retrieval systems (SBRS). The Georgia Conservancy is currently partnering with Sustainable Sea Technologies, Phillips Seafood, and the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service/Sea Grant on cutting-edge research into the use of ropeless fishing gear for the Georgia Black Sea Bass fishery. Additionally, we have collaborated with Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) to develop creative solutions to establish a thriving market for sustainably caught black sea bass.
If successful, this project will allow the reopening of this economically and culturally important fishery with no entanglement risk to the North Atlantic right whale.
Click here to learn more: www.georgiaconservancy.org/coast/ropeless-fishing-gear
Go Slow, Whales Below: Bringing Right Whale advocacy to our offshore boating communities through art and advertisement
Signage Art by Alexandra DelEstrez
Ships strikes are a leading cause of North Atlantic right whale casualties. During 2023, the Georgia Conservancy increased NArw outreach in coastal communities with the development of new marina signage to alert boaters of the need to reduce vessel speeds during North Atlantic right whale calving season. The signage is being installed in several marinas along the Georgia coast and will allow boaters to post NArw sighting alerts through the Whale Alert app at www.whalealert.org.
The graphics for the Go Slow, Whales Below signs were determined through an open invitation to submit original art to the Georgia Conservancy and our partner organizations.
Learn more about the Go Slow, Whales Below marina signage campaign: www.georgiaconservancy.org/coast/right-whale-signage
Current NARW Advocacy Efforts
North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule
In September 2022, the Georgia Conservancy submitted comments in response to proposed amendments to NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule.
From NMFS: “NMFS is proposing changes to the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) vessel speed regulations to further reduce the likelihood of mortalities and serious injuries to endangered right whales from vessel collisions, which are a leading cause of the species' decline and a primary factor in an ongoing Unusual Mortality Event.”
Read more about the proposed amendments here.
Pregnant North Atlantic right whales travel from Canada and New England along the eastern seaboard to our coastal waters to give birth and nurse their young, making them particularly vulnerable to ship strikes. Ship strikes are the second most common cause of man-made deaths of North Atlantic right whales.
Many lethal strikes have been confirmed in the Atlantic waters of the Southeast U.S. involving vessels less than 65 feet. Since 2012, there have been nine known vessel-caused deaths or serious injuries to North Atlantic right whales, and seven of those were confirmed to be caused by vessels that were less than 65 feet. Four of those vessel strikes occurred in Southeast U.S. Atlantic waters.
Right whale No. 1611 and her 1-year-old calf rest offshore of Cumberland Island. Photo by Georgia DNR, NOAA Permit #0775-1600
The number of mortalities and serious injuries from vessel strikes in U.S. waters currently exceeds the legal threshold allowable under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, so more must be done to avoid vessel strikes and allow the North Atlantic right whale population to rebound.
The Georgia Conservancy supports additional speed restrictions that are targeted to the areas as well as the size and class of boats that would provide the greatest risk reduction with the least amount of impact on our ports and recreational boating community.
From our September 2022 public comment letter to National Marine Fisheries Service:
“Our organization supports the proposed rule with the sincere hope that compliance with this rule will help in the recovery of our critically endangered State Marine Mammal, the North Atlantic right whale. Numerous studies have indicated that slowing the speed of vessels reduces the risk of lethal vessel collisions with right whales, particularly in areas where the species is abundant.”
Click here to read our comment letter in full.
From our May 2024 comment letter to President Joseph Biden:
“If we consider survival of this species a priority, it is clear that the 2008 vessel speed rule must be strengthened to encompass broader seasonal areas and an expanded size class of vessels. With the alarming number of right whales already killed by vessel strikes this year, more effective protections are needed now. To prevent the North Atlantic right whale’s extinction, we urge your Administration to finalize the proposed amendments to the 2008 vessel speed rule immediately, so that these protections can be in place before the next calving season begins in November 2024 and that the first calf born will go on to ensure the survival of its species.”
Click here to read our letter in full.
From our August 2024 comment letter to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources:
“On behalf of the Georgia Conservancy, we are writing to express our support for NOAA Fisheries’ proposed expansion of the 2008 Vessel Speed Rule. We believe that these standards are consistent with Georgia’s coastal policies and regulations. For over 30 years, GA DNR has worked closely with NOAA and other partners, including the Georgia Conservancy, to protect North Atlantic right whales (NArw), and we are hopeful that this successful partnership will ultimately lead to the recovery of this species.”
Click here to read our comment letter in full.
Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently solicited comments for its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for modifications to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan. Those comments were due by October 11, 2022. The goal of the Take Reduction Plan is to “reduce the level of serious injury and mortality of three strategic stocks of large whales (North Atlantic right, humpback, and fin) in commercial gillnet and trap/pot fisheries.”
Entangled North Atlantic Right WHale and Calf. Credit: Georgia DNR/taken under NOAA permit 20556.
The North Atlantic right whale, Georgia’s State Marine Mammal, comes south from New England each winter to calving grounds off our coast. The species is critically endangered, but their population can rebound if we lower human-caused deaths using updated science and fishing technologies. In an effort to reduce serious injury to North Atlantic right whales in the northeast commercial lobster and crab trap/pot fisheries, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of NOAA has proposed rules to amend current regulations.
One such new development that might improve fishing and protect whales is called “ropeless (or buoyless) fishing,” which allows for lobster and crab fishers to continue operating in areas where right whales are present without further endangering these marine mammals. We advocate for NMFS to continue to test and foster a market for ropeless technologies by creating incentives for adoption.
From our October 2022 public comment letter to NOAA:
“Georgia Conservancy fully supports amending the Plan to further reduce mortalities and serious injuries to right whales by including measures that address the urgent need to remove vertical buoy lines from the water in areas that right whales are using for feeding, breeding, and migration…
In addition, particular attention should be paid to on-demand fishing systems (also called ropeless), which allow fixed-gear fishermen to fish within areas closed to traditional fixed fishing gear. NOAA Fisheries must help advance the market for on-demand technologies by streamlining the permitting process for on-demand fishing trials, providing additional opportunities for financial assistance, and leading the industry in conversations around interoperability among on-demand fishing systems.”
Click here to read our comment letter in full.
Right whale #4057 circles to the right as responders from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission throw a custom-made "cutting grapple," hoping to sever the long strand of fishing rope exiting the whale's mouth. Seconds later the heavy rope parted and the whale swam away unencumbered. Credit: Photo by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, taken under NOAA permit #15488
The SAVE Right Whales Act
Sponsored by the late Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA), along with Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tom Carpenter (D-DE), the Scientific Assistance for Very Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales Act of 2019 (S.2453), also known as SAVE Right Whales Act, sought to establish “a grant program to promote collaboration between states, nongovernmental organizations, and members of the fishing and shipping industries to reduce human impacts on right whales and promote the recovery of the population.”
The bi-partisan Senate bill, introduced in September 2019, sought to authorize up to $5 million annually from 2019 - 2029 to projects that promote or contribute to the sustainability and recovery of the wild population of North Atlantic right whales through:
the implementation of conservation programs
the promotion of cooperative projects with foreign governments, local communities, the fishing industry, the private sector, and NGOs
the development, testing, and use of innovative technologies
The SAVE Right Whales Act also encouraged the coordination of North Atlantic right whale recovery efforts and projects between the United States and Canadian governments.
“The North Atlantic right whale was named the official Georgia state marine mammal when I served as minority leader in the Georgia State House, and I am proud that my state’s coast is still home to one of the few known calving grounds for this magnificent animal,” Senator Johnny Isakson said in a U.S. Senate press release. “I’m glad to introduce the Scientific Assistance for Very Endangered Right Whales Act to help learn about how we can better protect this important beast whose numbers continue to dwindle.”
The Georgia Conservancy would like to thank the late Senator Isakson for his support of the critically-endangered North Atlantic right whale and for his leadership in sponsoring this important measure.
Right Whale Q&A with Cathy Sakas
The Georgia Conservancy sat down with Cathy Sakas in 2014 to learn more about these rare animals - the North Atlantic right whale. Cathy is the former education coordinator at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary on Skidaway Island in Savannah and a former member of the Southeast U.S. Implementation Team for the Recovery of the North Atlantic right whale. As soon as she retired from Gray’s Reef Sanctuary in January 2014, she immediately set up Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary Foundation to support the research projects and education and outreach programs of the Sanctuary.
Learn More About North Atlantic Right WHales From NOAA & OCEANA
For more information, please contact Georgia Conservancy Coastal Director Courtney Reich at creich@georgiaconservancy.org
