First Right Whale Calf of 2025 Season Observed in Cape Cod Bay
Observers from the Center for Coastal Studies reported on Wednesday, March 12, a North Atlantic right whale mother and her calf in Cape Cod Bay, about 5 miles west of Great Island in Wellfleet. This sighting of a right whale calf in Massachusetts waters is the first occurrence for the 2025 season.
The right whale mother has been identified as 31-year-old Nauset. Nauset and her calf were first spotted off the coast of Georgia on Dec. 1, 2024, during an aerial survey conducted by Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute.
According to a MassLive report, this new calf is Nauset’s fifth known offspring. Her calf Monomoy, born in 2013, was also sighted in Cape Cod Bay.
North Atlantic right whales calve off the coast of the southeastern United States during winter before they migrate to breeding grounds in Canada and New England.
Each year, Cape Cod Bay hosts one of the largest feeding spots for right whales in winter and early spring. According to researchers, 80 individual right whales have appeared in the bay so far this season.
“The first sighting of mother/calf pairs in Cape Cod Bay each season is always an exciting moment that brings hope for the species. Their presence confirms successful calving in the southeastern U.S. during the winter months and marks a crucial stage in the calves’ early development,” said Daniel Palacios, director of the Center’s Right Whale Ecology Program, in an interview with MassLive.
The North Atlantic right whale is a critically endangered species, with an estimated population of approximately 372 individuals.
Marine vessel strikes represent one of the largest contributors to whale mortality. During right whale season, Massachusetts requires that sea-going vessels travel no faster than 10 knots in coastal waters and Cape Cod Bay, where the whales are present. Boaters, drone pilots, kayakers, light aircraft, paddle-boarders, and swimmers are reminded that it is illegal to approach a North Atlantic right whale within 500 yards without a federal research permit.
