An endangered North Atlantic right whale and her calf were spotted off the coast of New York City last week on February 3. The mother, Accordion, and her newborn were seen splashing in the waters of the Port of New York and New Jersey, about 24 km east of Sandy Hook, according to marine experts.
Accordion, first identified in 2011 by researchers who noted distinctive propeller scars on her back, is a first-time mother, as per the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Experts estimate her calf to be just a few weeks old. With only about 372 North Atlantic right whales left in the world, each birth is significant.
While sighting North Atlantic right whales is not unusual in these waters, the presence of a newborn this far north is highly uncommon, said Chris St Lawrence of Gotham Whale, a Brooklyn-based research centre. "We don't know if this baby was born here in the New York Bight or if they travelled up from the south," he explained to The NY Post.
Right whales typically migrate north in the spring after mating in Florida's warmer waters, but mothers usually remain further south until their calves are older. Despite the unexpected appearance, researchers say there's no immediate concern over Accordion's journey. "These animals are critically endangered, and so every pair is important, but it's especially rare to have a pair up here outside of their normal birthing range," Mr St Lawrence said.
Morel acoustic buoys in the New York Bight recently detected more right whales in the area, suggesting other members of the species may also be present. However, the region's busy shipping lanes pose a major threat.
"It's always a sign of hope to see a mother-calf pair of North Atlantic right whales," Mr St Lawrence said, adding that it is really exciting to have them in New York waters. "But at the same time, it is a little bit worrying to have them so close to the city and near those busy shipping lanes," he said.
The North Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered large whales, with a long history of hunting and little recovery despite protections since the 1930s. Now mainly found along North America's Atlantic coast, it faces threats from fishing gear entanglement and ship collisions. Some scientists believe the species has vanished from the eastern North Atlantic, surviving only off the US and Canada, as per World Wildlife.
