Newborn whale with deep wounds spotted off Georgia coast with mother, researchers say
Researchers spotted the fourth baby right whale of the season just off the coast of Georgia this week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said on Facebook.
But there’s bad news: The calf is already injured.
“The injuries are concerning because of the severity and location of the wounds,” NOAA Fisheries Service said in a post. “One of the injuries appears to include damage to the calf’s mouth which could hamper its ability to nurse and feed.”
Biologists think the baby whale is a few days old. Its wounds were only hours old.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission first spotted the calf and its mom about 8 nautical miles off Georgia on Wednesday, according to a Facebook post.
Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources and Clearwater (Florida) Marine Aquarium Research then went to try to assess the calf’s condition but had no luck finding the pair, NOAA said.
The search continued Friday.
Anyone who sees the pair or has information regarding the baby’s injuries can call 1-877-WHALE-HELP (1-877-942-5343).
Researchers call the mother whale “Derecha” — meaning “right” in Spanish.
She was first seen in December 1993 and is at least 27 years old. This is her fourth calf, the last of which was born in 2010, according to NOAA.
Biologists believe the “two roughly parallel and s-shaped injuries” on Derecha’s calf were caused by a vessel’s propeller.
The federal agency has asked boaters to give the animals space, saying it’s a “critical and vulnerable time for right whale moms to bond with their calves.”
Two 50-foot right whales previously were spotted in December about six miles off the coast of Hilton Head, South Carolina, the Island Packet reported. They were so huge that the captain of the boat who saw them said they came into view about a half-mile away.
According to NOAA, right whales can weigh up to 70 tons — or 140,000 pounds.
They got their name because they reportedly move slow and float after being killed, making them the “right” whale to hunt.
Right whales were hunted to near extinction by the early 1890s, according to NOAA, and humans still pose an enormous threat to their survival.
“The North Atlantic right whale is one of the world’s most endangered large whale species, with only about 400 whales remaining,” NOAA said.
Only about 100 of those are reproductive females, the Island Packet reported.
This time of year, mothers and their babies stay just below the water’s surface in the southeastern U.S., according to NOAA.
Mariners are urged to slow down in areas where the whales are found and federal law requires people stay at least 500 yards (1,500 feet) away — whether by sea or air. That includes drones.
“The protection of these animals is literally in the hands of all mariners on the water and all businesses that service those vessels,” NOAA said.
This story was originally published January 10, 2020 at 2:45 PM with the headline "Newborn whale with deep wounds spotted off Georgia coast with mother, researchers say."
