Flight team begins tracking right whales migrating along East Coast
Only 350 right whales still exist. Crews track the whales while migrating down the East Coast.
Flight team tracks endangered right whales
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium tracks migrating right whales. FOX 13 News talks to Shelby Yahn, the South Carolina right whale aerial team leader.
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Calving season for North Atlantic right whales has begun, and as the endangered species migrates down the U.S. East Coast, researchers with Clearwater Marine Aquarium are tracking their every move.
Every day from November to April (weather permitting), a team of CMA scientists flies above the ocean, hoping to spot one of the massive, rare sea creatures.
The South Carolina Right Whale Aerial Team leader Shelby Yahn said when there's a sighting, they begin to collect data above and determine if a boat crew should be deployed.
DOZENS OF SICK AND INJURED WHALES ADDED TO ONGOING NORTH ATLANTIC MORTALITY EVENT
A right whale and her calf were spotted by an airborne tracker.
(Clearwater Marine Aquarium / FOX 13 News)
It's believed that only about 350 right whales still exist. Yahn said the research her team is doing is critical to bringing that number up and saving the species.
"We are able to confirm, in real time, the life histories of these animals," Yahn said.
They track everything from mating behavior, the number of calves born, entanglements and other environmental threats.
Yahn's team works with the North Carolina and Georgia teams and NOAA to record as much information as possible about the whales and their habitats.
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"Every nose of a right whale will basically be like its fingerprint, and it can change slightly, but at this point, because we have so many dedicated teams all the way from Canada through Florida, we can document every single whale," Yahn said.
The information helps researchers predict future population patterns and helps NOAA decide what federal regulations to implement to protect right whales, like speed restrictions for boats.
Voluntary speed limit for boats around migrating right whales
A right whale mother and calf were spotted off the coast of South Carolina. NOAA officials said 50 North Atlantic right whales were seen south of Nantucket Island in January and enacted a voluntary speed restriction.
NOAA can actually send notifications to boaters in areas where right whales might be present, warning them to slow their speed and be alert.
Yahn said they can also dispatch a team to respond if a whale looks sick or injured.
Another right whale and her calf off the East Coast.
(Clearwater Marine Aquarium / FOX 13 News)
Their flight season is when most right whales migrate from Canada and Massachusetts down to the coasts of Georgia and Florida.
So far, Yahn says it has been a slower start to the season.
Anyone who sees a right whale is asked to call NOAA’s hotline and a team will respond to evaluate the situation.
It’s illegal to get within 500 yards of a North Atlantic right whale.