Northern right whale numbers in steady decline

Only about 300 right whales remain in the wild

August 31, 2000
Web posted at: 12:04 PM EDT (1604 GMT)

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LONG ISLAND, Nova Scotia (Reuters) -- The northern right whale is one of the most endangered mammals on Earth, but five whales spotted ahead of the boat on a recent shimmering August day were doing their bit to perpetuate the species.

"What we are seeing is a mating ritual. The four males are rubbing and caressing the female in the hope of attracting her attention," marine biologist Tom Goodwin said as the huge whales churned up the still waters of Nova Scotia's Bay of Fundy.

For the small group on Goodwin's Zodiac boat, seeing five of the mammals -- which number only about 300 in the world -- was a breathtaking privilege, especially at such close quarters.

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"This is just astonishing," one of the viewers said as the female whale rolled on her back.

While the whales did their thing, a 25-foot-long basking shark noisily broke the surface behind the Zodiac and a variety of sea birds including the endearing puffin skittered across the surface. Right whales and other sea mammals ranging from humpback whales to harbor porpoises are attracted to the fish- and plankton-rich waters of the rugged Bay of Fundy, home to the world's highest tides.

But fewer humpbacks are coming these days because of a decline in the herring population and fewer right whales return each year because their total numbers are in a steady decline.

Many scientists fear they will soon be extinct -- making their sighting at close quarters from a small boat an even more poignant experience. "When you only have a population of 300, and they are forced to inbreed, you know they won't be around forever," Goodwin said.

Right whales acquired their name because they were the "right" ones to kill. They moved slowly, had plenty of blubber and obligingly floated to the surface when killed by harpoons.

Hunted in France's Bay of Biscay as early as the 12th century, their numbers were decimated by commercial hunting in the 19th century. A hunting ban was introduced in 1935 in a bid to save them from certain extinction but numbers have continued to fall to current levels, which may prove unsustainable.

Only six new calves were recorded in 1998 and only three in 1999.

The plankton-eating giants, which reach 56 feet in length and weigh up to 70 tons, travel along busy shipping lanes and frequently have fatal collisions with ships. Many spend their summers feeding in the Bay of Fundy before traveling south along the U.S. coast, where shipping traffic is heavy.

They also become entangled in fishing nets and die.

The southern right whale, found off South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, has fared much better since the 1935 ban. They now number around 7,000 and the total appears to be rising.

The big difference in the fates of the two whales lies in lighter shipping on the southern right whale's migration paths.

Environment News Service says researchers at the University of Rhode Island have developed a sonar imaging system that could help prevent collisions between whales and ships. The device, using a sound frequency beyond the hearing of the whales, would provide real-time images of what is in front of the vessel.

Techniques have also been developed to untangle whales from fishing nets, and environmental groups are pushing for the establishment of shipping-free zones on whale migration routes.

But in the case of the northern right whale, these efforts may prove futile.

If so, that would remove a star attraction from the Bay of Fundy, where many people in coastal communities, hit by a decline in the fishing industry, depend on the direct and indirect employment the summer whale-watching season brings.

Worldwide, the whale-watching industry is now valued at about $1 billion a year.

"It is hard to say when they will vanish, but they likely will," said Goodwin.

As the Zodiac motored back to its base on Nova Scotia's picturesque Long Island at the entrance to the bay, Goodwin's passengers knew they had witnessed something special. It may have been their last chance to see one of nature's most magnificent creatures.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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University of Rhode Island

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