First right whale calf this season spotted in Mass. waters, days after researchers announce 4th death of the year

A North Atlantic right whale calf was spotted in Massachusetts waters for the first time this year on Monday, the Center for Coastal Studies said.

The welcome sighting comes just days after officials announced the fourth documented death of a whale from the critically endangered species this year.

The calf was seen with her mother just off a beach in Marshfield near Cape Cod Bay, according to a press release by the Center of Coastal Studies (CCS). The mother was identified as 36-year-old Legato and her young daughter — and fifth calf — Staccato. 

“We were just finishing a survey track line when we saw a right whale feeding less than a mile from the beach off North Marshfield,” said Ryan Schosberg, aerial observer and right whale researcher at CCS. “We flew over to document the animal and all cheered in excitement when a little calf popped up by its side!”

Legato gave birth to Staccato in December, according to the release, and the pair was first sighted together on New Year’s Eve off the coast of Florida. 

The sighting is significant given that North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered and have an estimated population of fewer than 360, according to the CCS.  

Right whales calve off the coast of the southwest U.S. during the winter, then migrate north to New England and Canadian feeding grounds, according to CCS. Cape Cod Bay has been one of the largest feeding grounds for these whales during the winter and early spring the past 10 years. 

To get to the rich feeding ground, however, whales sometimes have to travel through “horrendous” seas, said Charles Mayo, director of CCS’s Right Whale Ecology Program. 

“Cape Cod Bay is a very significant place for right whales to bring their calves. Here they find protected, calmer waters, and an abundance of food,” Mayo said. “It must be a relief, no wonder they hang out here for days or weeks.”

Out of Legato’s four other calves, one is presumed dead and another is confirmed dead. The two others have been sighted in recent years, CCS said. 

“It’s always a relief to see whale mothers arriving safely in Cape Cod Bay with their Calves,” Schosberg said. 

Four right whales dead so far in 2024

The discovery comes just days after experts found a female right whale carcass off the coast of Virginia — the fourth right whale known to have died in 2024. 

The whale, who was at least 35 years old and known as Catalog #1950, was found 50 miles off the coast of Virginia on Saturday, the New England Aquarium said. 

She had recently given birth to her sixth calf, who is not expected to survive without its mother, officials said. 

“The situation so far in 2024 for right whales highlights the fact that much more needs to be done to prevent the extinction of this species,” said Amy Knowlton, senior scientist at the New England Aquarium. “It is frustrating that solutions that could address these threats are not being implemented more immediately.”

So far this year, a three-year-old female calf was found dead off Martha’s Vineyard at the end of January. A few weeks later, another young female died of blunt force trauma, and in early March, another calf was found dead from a likely vessel strike. 

Entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes are the leading cause of injury and death for right whales, the New England Aquarium said. Catalog #1950 survived three entanglements during her life, according to officials. 

“If she can avoid the double threats of vessel strikes and entanglements, a female right whale can calve throughout her long life, producing ten or more calves,” said Philip Hamilton, senior scientist in the Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center. “With the loss of Catalog #1950, her female lineage now rests with her three daughters, none of which have calved yet.”

Her newest calf, which was last seen with Catalog #1950 in February, has been missing since its mothers death and is not expected to survive. Three newborn calves in total have disappeared since the beginning of this year, the New England Aquarium said. 

To reduce vessel strikes, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration proposed a rule in 2022 that would expand speed restrictions to a broader range of vessel sizes. The rule was published more than a year and a half ago, but is still under interagency regulatory review. 

“The delay has put this vulnerable species at continued risk from strikes,” the New England Aquarium said.

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