North Atlantic Right Whale Calving Season 2025
There are approximately 370 individuals remaining, including about 70 reproductively active females. With so few of these whales left, researchers closely monitor the Southeast for new offspring during the annual right whale calving season.
Every single female North Atlantic right whale and calf are vital to this endangered species’ recovery. Researchers identified 11 calves this calving season.
Since 2017, the whales have been experiencing an Unusual Mortality Event, which has resulted in more than 20 percent of the population being sick, injured, or killed. The primary causes of the Unusual Mortality Event are entanglements in fishing gear and collisions with boats and ships. In the last decade, there have been more North Atlantic right whale deaths than births.
Researchers estimate there are about 70 reproductively active females remaining. These females are producing fewer calves each year, which impacts the ability of the species to recover. Female right whales become sexually mature at about age 10. They give birth to a single calf after a year-long pregnancy. Three years is considered a normal or healthy interval between right whale births. But now, on average, they are having calves every 6 to 10 years. Biologists believe the additional stress from entanglements, vessel strike injuries, and changes in prey availability due to climate change all likely contribute to right whales calving less often, even when the females survive the event.
With the current number of females and the necessary resting time between births, 20 newborns in a calving season would be considered a relatively productive year. However, given the estimated rate of human-caused mortality and serious injury, we need approximately 50 or more calves per year for many years to stop the decline and allow for recovery. The only solution is to significantly reduce human-caused mortality and injuries, as well as stressors on reproduction.
Meet the Mothers and Calves of the 2025 Season
Every identified North Atlantic right whale has an assigned four-digit number in the Right Whale Catalog. Researchers assign names to whales that have a unique physical feature or a strong story in connection to a community or habitat where they were seen.
You can view mother-calf photos and stories from previous right whale calving seasons on our archive page.
Monarch (#2460)
On April 17, 2025, an aerial survey team from the Center for Coastal Studies saw right whale #2460 “Monarch” and her calf in Cape Cod Bay. The pair were approximately 2 miles north of Barnstable, Massachusetts. Monarch was not seen in the traditional Southeast calving grounds this year, and we are not sure where or when the calf was born. While it’s rare to first document a mom-calf pair outside of the Southeast calving grounds, it happened three times this season.
Monarch is named for a scar on her fluke that resembles a butterfly. She was first seen in 1994, which makes her at least 32 years old. This is her fifth known calf. Her previous calf, #5194, was also observed feeding in Cape Cod Bay this year. Her 2010 calf, #4070, was last seen in 2023. Her 2007 calf, #3710, was found dead at age two with a deformed spine, possibly from an injury. Her 2004 calf, #3420 “Platypus,” is also a mom this season, making Monarch both a mother and grandmother this year.
Monarch has been entangled at least three times—one was a severe entanglement that left extensive scarring near her tail. Her offspring have been entangled at least seven times collectively.
Image
Platypus (#3420)
On February 23, 2025, volunteers with the Marineland Right Whale Project saw right whale #3420 “Platypus” and her calf approximately 300 yards off Ormond Beach, Florida. Platypus is named for the callosity shape at the front of her head, which looks like the bill of a platypus pointing towards her flukes. She is 21 years old and this is her second known calf. Researchers don’t believe her first calf—born in 2015—survived.
Platypus was entangled in fishing gear when she was 5 years old. She was first detected with the entanglement in the Southeast in 2009 and, after a multi-agency entanglement response effort, she was able to shed the entangling gear.
Disentangling whales can be dangerous, for both humans and the whales. Let qualified experts respond to marine species in distress. You can help by reporting entangled whales.
Image
Cashew (#3292)
On February 5, 2025, an aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute saw right whale #3292 “Cashew” and her calf approximately 7 miles off Nassau Sound, Florida. Cashew was named for the part of her callosity at the tip of the head that resembles the curved shape of a cashew nut. She is 23 years old and this is her third known calf. Her 2015 calf was never catalogued; her 2008 calf, a male, has been sighted in recent years.
Image
Accordion (#4150)
On February 3, 2025, the NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center aerial survey team saw right whale #4150 “Accordion” and her calf. They were close to the shipping lanes at the entrance to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Accordion is named for the propeller scars on her back that resemble the musical instrument. She’s at least 14 years old and was first seen in 2011 as a juvenile. She has never been seen in the traditional Southeast calving grounds. This is her first known calf and we are not sure where or when the calf was born. It is unusual to find such a young calf so far north and at this time of year. However, it is common to find other right whales in this area. Accordion and her calf were within a Seasonal Management Area where vessels 65 feet or longer must travel at 10 knots or less.
Collisions with vessels of all sizes—from recreational boats to large ocean-going ships—are one of the primary causes of elevated North Atlantic right whale injuries and deaths. All mariners and boaters from Maine to Florida can help save these whales by slowing down to 10 knots or less at times and in areas where they are likely present.
Image
Check Mark (#3705)
On January 17, 2025, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission aerial survey team saw right whale #3705 “Check Mark” and her calf approximately 10 miles off Amelia Island, Florida. Check Mark was named for part of her fluke that was sliced off by a vessel strike when she was only 6 years old; it now resembles a check mark. She is 18 years old and this is her first calf. Check Mark had not yet been seen in the Southeast United States this season prior to being seen with her calf. Despite extensive monitoring efforts, whales can go undetected on their journey down to, and throughout, the calving grounds.
Image
Grand Teton (#1145)
On January 16, 2025, an aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute saw right whale #1145 “Grand Teton” and her calf about 13 miles off of Amelia Island, Florida. Grand Teton was first seen in 1981, which makes her at least 44 years old. This is her ninth calf; it was less than 6 days old when it was first seen. Grand Teton was named for her callosity pattern resembling the peaks of the Teton Mountain Range in Wyoming.
She is one of only a handful of female right whales to have given birth to nine calves. Two of those went on to become moms, and Grand Teton has five grandcalves. Although Grand Teton is one of the most productive right whales ever, her family lineage has been fraught with entanglements in fishing gear and vessel strikes. All of her female calves are presumed dead, and only one of her female grandcalves, #4545, may still be alive. However, #4545 has not been seen since 2023 and was seriously injured with an entanglement in fishing gear at the time.
Image
Black Heart (#3540)
On December 30, 2024, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission aerial survey team saw right whale #3540 “Black Heart” and her calf approximately 2 miles off Ponte Vedra, Florida. Black Heart is named for the heart-shaped bare spot at the front of her callosity. She is 20 years old and this is her second known calf. Her first calf, born 12 years ago, was not seen again after its birth year.
Black Heart was seen as recently as December 4, 2024 off South Carolina without a calf. The timing of recent sightings makes her new calf less than 1 month old.
Image
Caterpillar (#3503)
On December 30, 2024, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission aerial survey team saw right whale #3503 “Caterpillar” and her calf almost 6 miles off Ponte Vedra, Florida. Her name comes from a large caterpillar-shaped scar on her lower right flank that she received as a result of a vessel strike when she was 2 years old.
Caterpillar was seen as recently as December 8, 2024 off Georgia without a calf. The timing of recent sightings makes her new calf less than 3 weeks old.
She is 20 years old and this is her first known calf. The average age of first calving is anywhere from 7 to 10 years old, so 20 years old is much older than normal. It is possible she has been pregnant in the past and not been able to carry to term as a result of her severe injuries.
In November 2022, researchers spotted Caterpillar and another female right whale, Smoke, as they were migrating towards the Southeast calving grounds. They deployed a drone to capture aerial footage of the whales and attached a suction cup tag to Smoke. NOAA Fisheries and our partners use the latest technologies and methods to monitor and learn more about this endangered species.
Image
#4540
On December 18, 2024, aerial and vessel teams from HDR, Inc. found first-time right whale mother #4540 and her calf. They saw the pair about 7 miles off Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in southern Virginia. Right whale #4540 is 12 years old and this is her first documented calf. Her mother is Juno (#1612), whose calf from last calving season was struck by a vessel and ultimately died from those injuries.
Image
Minus One (#2430)
On December 9, 2024, Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute researchers saw right whale #2430 “Minus One” and her calf about 6 miles off of Amelia Island, Florida. Minus One was first seen in 1994, which makes her at least 31 years old. She was initially named for scars that look like a “-1,” though they are less visible now.
Image
She has three known previous calves, all of which are female. Her 2007 calf, #3730 “Spoon,” has been seen in the last year and is of reproductive age, but has no known calves of her own. Minus One’s 2010 calf, #4030, was last seen in 2017 and is presumed dead. Her most recent calf from the 2021 calving season, #5190, was last seen in 2022.
Nauset (#2413)
On December 1, 2024, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute saw right whale #2413 “Nauset” and her calf about 6 miles off Sapelo Island, Georgia. Nauset is 31 years old and this is her fifth known calf. She is named for the front section of her callosity pattern, which resembles the Cape Cod lighthouse.
Image
Nauset’s first known calf, born in 2005, was female #3513 “Canaveral.” Canaveral had her first calf in 2013, but that calf was never cataloged and Canaveral was not seen again after 2015. Nauset next calved in 2011 and again in 2013. Nauset’s 2011 calf was not cataloged and presumed dead given the 2-year gap between the births; a short gap between calves usually means the previous calf died at a young age. Nauset’s 2013 calf was female #4313 “Monomoy,” who was last seen in 2023. She has not yet had her first known calf. Nauset’s fourth calf, a male (#5113), was born in 2021 and has not been seen since 2022.
Unidentified Mom
The 2025 calving season's first mother-calf pair was seen on November 24, 2025, nearly 5 miles off Cape Romain, South Carolina. A member of the public reported this pair to the NOAA hotline (877) WHALE-HELP ((877) 942-5343). At this time, researchers are unable to identify this female right whale from the available photographs. However, as researchers see more right whales this season, they will make every attempt using photo identification techniques to identify her.
Right Whale Reproduction
The right whale calving season begins in mid-November and runs through mid-April. Female right whales become sexually mature at about age 10. They give birth to a single calf after a year-long pregnancy. Three years is considered a normal or healthy interval between right whale births. But now, females are having calves every 7 to 10 years, on average. Biologists believe that the stress caused by entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with boats and ships is one of the reasons that females are calving less often or not at all.
Calving Area
Each fall, some right whales travel more than 1,000 miles from their feeding areas in the waters off New England and Canada to the shallow, coastal waters of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and northeastern Florida. The southeastern United States is the only known area where right whales regularly give birth and nurse their young.
NOAA Fisheries has designated two areas as critical habitat for North Atlantic right whales, including off the southeast U.S. coast from Cape Fear, North Carolina, to below Cape Canaveral, Florida—an important nursery and calving area.
Monitoring Right Whales with Aerial Surveys
A number of government agencies fund and conduct right whale aerial surveys between North Carolina and northeast Florida during the calving season. These agencies include the Army Corps of Engineers, Coast Guard, Navy, NOAA, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. All of these aerial survey teams:
- Monitor the seasonal presence of right whales and their habitat use
- Alert mariners, boaters, and partners to the whales’ locations
- Monitor calf production
- Provide sighting support for biopsy efforts
- Detect and respond to reports of dead, injured, and entangled whales
Other key partners in monitoring the right whale calving area include Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the New England Aquarium.
Collecting Genetic Samples to Identify Right Whales
Boat-based teams from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission collect biopsy samples from right whale calves and other right whales that haven’t been previously sampled. You can think of these biopsies as similar to blood samples you provide to personal genetic DNA testing companies to learn about who you are and your family relationships. Identifying as many individual right whales each year as possible is crucial for monitoring the population; data on individual whales are used in models that estimate the total number of right whales.
How You Can Help: Go Slow and Stay Alert for Right Whales
Calving season is an especially vulnerable period for these whales. Despite their enormous size, North Atlantic right whales can be very difficult to spot from a boat due to their dark color and lack of a dorsal fin. This is especially true in poor weather and sea state or low light conditions. Mother-calf pairs are at heightened risk for vessel strikes because these individuals spend nearly all their time at or close to the water surface, but are difficult to see. Most boaters who reported striking a right whale didn’t see the whale prior to colliding with it.
Right whales have been injured or killed by all types and sizes of vessels—from recreational boats to large ocean-going ships. Additionally, disturbance from watercraft or aircraft could affect behaviors critical to the health and survival of the species. It is extremely important for all mariners and boaters to slow down, stay alert, and give these whales plenty of room.
Go Slow—Whales Below
Slower speeds are known to reduce the severity of impacts when collisions with whales occur and may provide boat and vessel operators an opportunity to avoid a collision. For most vessels 65 feet or longer, mandatory 10-knot seasonal management areas went into effect on November 1 between Rhode Island and Florida. Additional seasonal management areas off Massachusetts become active on January 1 each year. NOAA Fisheries strongly urges mariners operating vessels less than 65 feet in length to transit at or under 10 knots within active seasonal management areas, in light of the danger posed to right whales by smaller vessels and NOAA Fisheries' proposed changes to the vessel speed regulations.
In advance of your trip, check the NOAA Right Whale Sightings Advisory System or the Whale Alert app for active right whale safety zones, including seasonal and dynamic management areas, and right whale slow zones, and recent whale sightings near your location.
Learn more about U.S. vessel speed regulations and programs for right whales
All boaters from Maine to Virginia, or interested parties, can sign up for email or text notifications about the latest right whale slow zones.
Be On the Lookout
Post a lookout. Watch for black objects, white water, and splashes. Avoid boating in the dark or in rough seas, when visibility is poor.
Give Right Whales Space
Federal law requires vessels, paddle boarders, and aircraft (including drones) to stay at least 500 yards (five football fields) away from right whales. Any vessel within 500 yards of a right whale must depart immediately at a safe, slow speed. These restrictions are in place to prevent accidental collisions between right whales and boats as well as to protect the whales from disturbance.
To report a right whale sighting from North Carolina to Florida, or a dead, injured, or entangled whale, contact NOAA Fisheries at (877) WHALE-HELP ((877) 942-5343) or the Coast Guard on marine VHF channel 16. Please report sightings from Virginia to Maine by calling (866) 755-6622. If safe, and from the legally required 500-yard distance, please take a photo and note the GPS coordinates to share with biologists.