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North Atlantic Right Whale

 

 

 

 

With as few as 400 remaining, NOAA Fisheries is dedicated to the conservation and recovery of North Atlantic right whales.  Right whales are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  Their two greatest threats are entanglement in fixed fishing gear and vessel strikes.

Each fall, right whales travel more than 1,000 miles from their feeding grounds off Canada and New England to the warm coastal waters of South Carolina, Georgia and northeastern Florida. These southern waters are the only known
calving area for the species; an area where they give birth and nurse their young.

 

About Right Whales

Learn more about behavior, distribution, habitat, threats and how to identify a North Atlantic right whale.

Right Whale Sightings

Information about the Early Warning System, how to report a right whale sighting, recent right whale sightings and annual aerial survey reports. 

Management/ Conservation
Information about management efforts and regulations aimed at the recovery of the North Atlantic right whale population.  
For Fishermen

Information about various protective measures to reduce interactions and entanglement in fishing gear. 

For Mariners

Educational resources and information about the Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Rule, recommended shipping lanes and seasonal management areas.  

Education and Outreach
Educational resources and links intended to educate and inspire right whale conservation.