They’re back!

Two adult right whales seen Nov. 5 off Hilton Head, S.C., and Savannah marked a slightly earlier-than-expected return of one of the world’s most imperiled large whales to their core calving area. DNR senior wildlife biologist Jessica Thompson called the timing “uncommon but not unheard of.” Right whales usually show up in Georgia from mid-November to early December.

Thompson, who leads DNR’s work monitoring  encouraged boaters to be vigilant, keeping watch and slowing down. Along with entanglement in commercial fishing gear in the northeast Atlantic, vessel strikes along the Eastern Seaboard are a leading cause of right whale deaths. Despite their size, the whales can be hard to see because of their dark color and lack of a dorsal fin (“Where’s the whale?” Dec. 9, 2024). Mothers and calves spend most of their time at or near the surface, putting them more at risk of being hit.

White chart with blue, gray lines marking North Atlantic right whale population estimate from 1990 to October 2024

Boaters are urged to be on the lookout, slow down where right whales are present and report sightings via 877-WHALE-HELP (877-942-5343), the U.S. Coast Guard on marine VHF ch. 16 or the Whale Alert app. Reports can help avoid boat strikes. For sighting updates, check the app or whalemap.org.

There were an estimated 384 North Atlantic right whales as of 2024. That population estimate was up 2 percent over 2023. However, the 10 calves reported last winter fell far below the 50 a year NOAA says are needed to overcome the high rate of whales dying from vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear.

Top: Seen last winter, right whale No. 1145 (Grand Teton) and calf off Amelia Island, Fla, in January (CMARI/NOAA permit 26919)