The North Atlantic right whale is one of the world’s most endangered species, with an estimated 380 whales remaining.
In the Southeast, vessel strikes are a leading cause of death for whales. Each winter, between November and April, right whale mothers travel south down the East Coast to give birth to their calves in our warm, welcoming waters. The Atlantic coasts of Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia are the only known calving grounds for these gentle giants. During their thousand-mile trek, these whales cross paths with thousands of large commercial and recreational vessels and risk collisions.
In an effort to reduce whale strikes, Georgia Conservancy, along with partners at MotionInfo and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, is working to grow a network of Automatic Identification System (AIS) beacons in Georgia. AIS is a navigational tool required on most commercial vessels. Beacons at key locations send real-time alerts to ships entering right whale calving or migration areas between November and April, encouraging them to reduce speed to prevent collisions. This proven technology provides a scalable, data-driven way to improve vessel compliance and whale safety.
The beacon network is specifically used to enforce the 2008 NOAA Vessel Speed Rule, which requires any vessels larger than 65’ to travel at speeds under 10 knots in seasonal right whale calving grounds
Learn more about potential changes to the ship speed rule.
In April 2025, we established an AIS beacon on the Sapelo Island Lighthouse, and we are currently working to expand to other locations on our coast.
Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter announced a $500,000 federal grant for the Georgia Conservancy to expand its AIS beacon network and monitoring activities. Included in the House’s appropriations package, this funding will enhance real-time messaging to vessel operators about
seasonal management areas to further reduce whale strike risks. The grant also supports boating community safety and the local coastal economy.
Installing AIS beacons like this one at lighthouses across the East Coast gives these landmarks new life as a beacon of hope for protecting North Atlantic right whales, as these animals give new life to the next generation.
Optimism about the species’ survival grew throughout the 2025-2026 calving season, during which a record-breaking 23 calves were born in Georgia waters. This is the largest number of whales born in almost twenty years. During this season, AIS beacons in Georgia broadcast over 5,000 alerts to mariners speeding in right whale calving grounds, with the new Sapelo Island beacon broadcasting 149 alerts. These alerts remind vessel operators of the laws in place to protect these critically endangered giants, and they also remind all of us of the new life growing off our cherished Georgia coast.
Learn more about our efforts to save the North Atlantic right whale at www.georgiaconservancy.org/coast-right-whale