Juno’s whale calf likely to die after severe propeller strike off Edisto, SC, waters
The calf of the first mother-baby right whale pair spotted of the season was struck by a vessel in the Atlantic off the coast of Edisto, South Carolina, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Wednesday.
Spotted on Jan. 3, videos showed propeller wounds on the calf’s head, mouth and left lip. The injuries, which NOAA Fisheries biologists have preliminary determined meet “serious injury” criteria, are consistent with a vessel strike. NOAA said it is currently unknown whether the mother whale was also injured.
The injuries point to the calf being struck by a smaller craft, not a large ship, which are not currently under federal speed-reduction regulations.
These specific type of wounds the calf sustained are particularly problematic because they may affect the whale’s ability to successfully nurse. The calf is “likely to die” as a result of the injuries, the federal agency said. Sarah Sharp, an animal rescue veterinarian with the International Fund for Animal Welfare, put the chance of the calf’s survival at 25%.
“(The whale is) so young, the injury is so extensive and it likely impacts the bone on the head. When the animal gets a bone infection, they can go septic pretty quickly,” said Sharp, who is a leading expert on North Atlantic right whales. “I think the likelihood of this animal surviving is very low.”
The calf has not been seen since Jan. 3, Sharp said, but the last report noted the baby was with its mother. Severe weather and the three-day delay of NOAA being notified have made it difficult to search for the calf, but Sharp said once the weather clears, there will be a massive surveillance by boat and air.
Up against the odds
First spotted off the coast of South Carolina on Nov. 24 by Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute scientists during a flight survey, the calf and its mother, known as 38-year-old “Juno,” were the first North Atlantic right whale pair seen in the 2023-2024 calving season.
In early December, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division narrowed the calf’s age to less than 2 weeks.
When the pair were spotted, wildlife groups and state agencies warned of the treacherous journey Juno and her calf had ahead of them, mostly in the way of shipping traffic.
When the gentle giants leave their summer homes in New England for their winter stays off the coasts of Florida and the Carolinas for their calving grounds, they are vulnerable to boat strikes and entanglement. The ports of Savannah and Charleston can be dangerous for migrating right whales, places where large ships are cautioned to slow at the sight of the mammals but don’t always obey the warning.
Boat strikes and entanglement are the leading reasons to blame for the recent decreases in the right whale population.
Centuries ago, whaling devastated the North Atlantic right whale population. Over a decade ago, the population peaked at 500. But by 2017 that had number dropped significantly.
Currently, there are about 356 North Atlantic right whales left, according to the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium’s October population count. It said the species is at risk for functional extinction within the next 12 to 15 years. There are fewer than 70 females that can reproduce.
The Unusual Mortality Event documented 122 right whales dead or seriously injured since 2017. Juno’s calf is the 35th seriously injured right whale.
“This serious injury, and likely death, of this critically endangered calf is utterly tragic, but completely avoidable,” said Kathleen Collins, International Fund for Animal Welfare’s senior campaign manager.
Avoiding right whale injuries and deaths
Southeast waters aren’t particularly kind to pregnant right whales traveling down to give birth and pairs that swim back up to the Northeast for feeding grounds. Portions of the journey are through heavily industrialized waters with busy shipping lanes, and commercial pot/trap lobster and snow crab fisheries.
Federal law says all regulated vessels 65 feet or greater must travel at 10 knots or less between Nov. 1 and April 30 in “Seasonal Management Areas,” which are designated spots off the coasts of northeast Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Still, compliance is low. In Charleston and Savannah harbors, compliance rates are “consistently below 5%,” according to marinewhale.com.
And because the law only applies to ships, smaller vessels do not have to adhere to it. Sharp said the strikes to Juno’s calf look like they came from a vessel with a smaller propeller, not one of a ship.
“We’ve seen plenty of animals that are hit by very large vessels and this is not what this looks like,” Sharp said. “A lot of these animals, especially the calves that have died recently, have shown it was actually due to smaller vessels.”
She urged that boaters voluntarily slow down to 10 knots in the specified areas regardless of vessel size. It would decrease the likelihood of a whale being struck and, if it were, a hit by a slower-moving boat would increase the chance of the mammal surviving.
NOAA and many environmentalist said the current law isn’t enough to protect right whales. The agency’s 2022 proposed change broadens the speed restrictions from just ships to all vessels 35 feet and greater. It expects a final decision this year.
But there is no time to wait, Sharp said, for the mammals that have so many things working against them.
“These threats are real, their presence, and they’re happening far more frequently than we’d like to think,” Sharp said. “This population is on the precipice of extinction. We cannot wait seven years. We cannot wait three years. We cannot wait one year. We have to act now.”
NOAA is asking anyone with information regarding the calf’s injuries and additional sightings to contact 877-WHALE-HELP (877-942-5343). The agency urged to report any sighting of right whales or any dead, injured, or entangled whales. If safe, and from the legally required 500-yard distance. Take photos or video and note the GPS coordinates to share with biologists.
