Right Whales Thrive When We Finally See Climate Change as a Symptom of Place-based Problems

My first experience with a right whale was as a college student alone on the deck of a twenty-seven-foot sailboat. Suddenly, beside me was what looked like a sandbar the length of the boat. Yet, it was alive and moving forward. Those below decks thought I was having an epileptic attack. I had never imagined there could be an animal so big. This was 1974 before pictures of whales underwater had been published. The whale surfaced only once, close by, perhaps to give us a look or to be seen. Leaving a circular slick spot in the water, the whale was never seen again. It was a right whale because of its broad back and no dorsal fin. I was hooked while the whale swam free.

At that time, there were estimated to be 350 North Atlantic right whales. The whale population grew to more than 420 whales, and then, during the last decade and a half, the right whale population plummeted to 350 or less. Most alarming is that there may be fewer than 70 reproductive female rights whales.

The government is stepping up to address the two leading killers of whales: ship strikes and entanglements with lobster trap gear. Vessels are being mandated to slow down to eleven mph (10 knots) when whales are in the immediate vicinity, and lineless lobster trap gear is being developed.