North Atlantic Right Whale Calving Season 2026
There are approximately 380 right whales 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.
The right whale calving season begins in mid-November and runs through mid-April. Researchers identified 23 calves this calving season.
By the Numbers: Read our summary of the 2026 calving season
Every single female North Atlantic right whale and calf are vital to this endangered species’ recovery. 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.
Reproductive 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 pregnancy lasting over a year. Three to four years is considered a normal or healthy interval between right whale births. But now, on average, they are having calves every 7 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.
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 2026 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.
Mirror (#4617)
On March 14, 2026, an aerial survey team from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission saw right whale #4617 “Mirror” and her new calf approximately a quarter mile off Crescent Beach, Florida. She is 10 years old and this is her first known calf. Mirror was born in 2016, the same year as #4610, another first time mom this season! She was last seen on February 12, without a calf, making it a month old or less when the survey team spotted the pair.
Mirror was named for the symmetrical callosity patterns on her head—the right and left sides are mirror images of each other. Mirror’s mom, #3317 Frida, had three known calves. She was last seen in 2019 and is presumed dead. Mirror’s sisters, #3917 Valkyrie (born in 2009, 17 years old) and #4917 Cremini (born in 2019, 7 years old), are both of calving age but have not been seen with a calf; they were seen as recently as 2025.
This marks the 23rd calf this season, the highest number of North Atlantic right whale calves born in 17 years!
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Ghost (#1515)
On January 30, 2026, volunteers from the Marineland Right Whale Project saw right whale #1515 “Ghost” and her new calf approximately a half mile off Flagler Beach, Florida. The research vessel team from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also helped document this sighting.
Ghost is close to 50 years old and this is her ninth known calf. She was named for the front part of her callosity pattern, which resembles a classic cartoon ghost with two dark areas for eyes. The name suits her well: Much like a ghost, her sighting history is mysterious and spotty. Researchers first saw Ghost in 1985, fully grown and with a calf. Nearly all of her sightings since then have been in the Southeast with a calf. We do not know where else she spends her time. Monitoring throughout the range of the right whale—including the Southeast calving grounds—is essential for documenting the lives and movements of these animals.
Ghost’s first five calves were not cataloged or are presumed dead. Her three most recent calves were all seen in 2025. Two are females and the other’s gender is unknown. The unknown, #4715, and is nearly as mysterious as its mother. #4715 was first seen as a calf with Ghost in 2017 outside the Southeast, which is rare. The NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center aerial survey team spotted the mother-calf pair in the waters of the Great South Channel, east of Nantucket, Massachusetts. The following year, #4715 journeyed into the Gulf of America. At the time, it was only the third known occurrence of right whales in the Gulf since 2000. #4715 was not seen again until 2021 and has a limited sighting history overall, just like its mother.
Slalom (#1245)
On January 22, 2026, a beachgoer reported a right whale mother and calf approximately a quarter mile off South Daytona Beach, Florida. Scientists identified the mother as right whale #1245 “Slalom.” Thanks to our partners at Blue World Research Institute and Marineland Right Whale Project for their assistance with documenting this sighting.
Slalom is named for her long bumpy callosity, which is reminiscent of a slalom ski course. She is 44 years old and this is her seventh known calf. Her last calf was born in 2022. Her first two calves were her only female calves, and both are presumed dead. Her first calf, “Insignia” (#2645), had four calves before she disappeared. Only one of Slalom’s grandcalves, a male, “Junction” (#3745), is still alive, despite suffering a vessel strike which left 2 large scars that make him easily identifiable.
If you see a right whale, report the sighting.
Giza (#3020)
On January 20, 2026, a member of the public reported a right whale mother and calf to the NOAA hotline. Scientists identified the mother as right whale #3020 “Giza.” The sighting was approximately 17 miles east of Charleston, South Carolina.
Giza is at least 26 years old and this is her fourth known calf. Her last calf was born in 2021, making her the eighth mom this season to have given birth only 5 years ago. Her first calf, #3820 “Hopscotch,” was born in 2008. Hopscotch had her first calf in 2024, making Giza a grandmother. She was named for the three pyramids of Giza, because of the similar placement of the callosity features on the right side of her head.
Magic (#1243)
On January 16, 2026, an aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute saw right whale #1243 “Magic” and her new calf approximately 10 miles east of Amelia Island, Florida. She is 44 years old and this is her eighth known calf.
Her first calf, born in 1991, was named “Lucky” (#2143) after she miraculously survived a severe vessel strike injury. Lucky died 14 years later as those same wounds became infected during her first pregnancy. Lucky was Magic’s only female calf. In 2023, Magic’s son, 20-year-old right whale #3343, was killed by a vessel strike. Only three of her seven calves—all males—have been seen since 2024.
#4610
On January 8, 2026, an aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute saw right whale #4610 and her first known calf approximately 10 miles south of Cape Lookout, North Carolina. She is 10 years old and the youngest mom this calving season!
Female right whales become sexually mature at about age 10. In recent years, researchers have observed right whales beginning to calve later in life, between 15 and 20 years old, due to stress. It is an encouraging sign that #4610 became a first-time mother at this age.
#3593
On January 8, 2026, an aerial survey team from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission saw right whale #3593 and her new calf approximately 15 miles off Jacksonville Beach, Florida. She is more than 21 years old and this is her second known calf. She last calved in 2021, making her the sixth 2021 mom to give birth again this season!
Right whale #3593 has eluded researchers for much of her life. She has been seen in only five of the last 21 years, and each sighting happened between December and March. We do not know where she spends her summers. She was first documented off Florida, already full grown, during the 2005 calving season. Her next three sightings were in 2011, 2012, and 2015 along the New England coast. She was not seen again until 2021, when researchers spotted her off North Carolina with her first known calf. Given her mysterious sighting history and unknown age, it’s possible #3593 had undetected calves before 2021.
To further add to the intrigue, her 2026 calf is much larger than the other calves born this season. This means the calf was born much earlier and had time to grow before being documented.
Skittle (#3260)
On January 5, 2026, an aerial survey team from the Florida Fish and Wildlife saw right whale #3260 “Skittle” with her new calf approximately 18 miles east of the St. Mary’s River entrance in Florida. Skittle is at least 24 years old, and this is her third known calf. Skittle’s first two calves, born in 2010 and 2024, likely died soon after they were born. She is named for her callosity pattern, which resembles the bowling pin used in the traditional British sport of skittles.
Skittle was entangled in 2007, with a line and a buoy trailing from her mouth. She managed to shed the gear on her own and was confirmed gear free in 2008.
Boomerang (#2503)
On January 1, 2026, an aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute saw right whale #2503 “Boomerang” and her new calf approximately 9 miles east of the St. Mary’s River entrance in Florida. She was last seen on December 20 without a calf, making this baby less than two weeks old.
She is 31 years old and this is her fifth known calf. She was named for the boomerang-shaped white scar on the underside of her fluke. She last gave birth in 2019 to a male calf (#4903) who has been seen as recently as 2025. Her only female calf, “Frisbee” (#3980), was born in 2009 and is old enough to calve, but has yet to become a mother.
Few right whales have been documented in the Gulf of America, but Boomerang brought her first calf there in 2006. The calf was named “Lone Star” (#3620) after this unusual journey, which went as far west as Corpus Christi, Texas. Lone Star has not been seen since 2016 and is presumed dead.
Binary (#3010)
On December 27, 2025, an aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute saw right whale #3010 “Binary” and her new calf approximately 7 miles east of Blackbeard Island, Georgia. She was named for a portion of callosity on her head that resembles a binary star system (a pair of two stars that orbit around each other).
She is at least 26 years old and this is her fourth known calf. Her last one was born in 2021. She is the fifth mom from the 2021 calving season to give birth again this year. Her 2021 calf, a male (#5110), was last seen entangled in April 2025.
Juno (#1612)
On December 27, 2025, an aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute saw right whale #1612 “Juno” and her new calf approximately 9 miles east of Wassaw Island, Georgia. She was named after the Roman goddess Juno for her convex rostrum, a feature known as a “Roman nose” by researchers.
She is at least 40 years old and this is her ninth known calf. With five of her eight previous calves confirmed or presumed dead, Juno’s journey as a mom has been very difficult. Her last calf was born in 2024 but sustained vessel strike injuries to the head and ultimately died as a result of the wounds. A two-year calving interval has only been documented in females whose calves have died shortly after birth.
Mantis (#1620)
On December 26, 2025, an aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute saw right whale #1620 “Mantis” and her new calf approximately 18 miles east of Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
Mantis was named for her callosity pattern, which resembles a mantis shrimp. Her daughter Squilla is also named after a species of mantis shrimp. Squilla also calved this year, making Mantis both a new mother and a grandmother!
Mantis is at least 40 years old and this is her eighth known calf. Her last one was born in 2022. She is the third mom from the 2022 calving season to give birth again this year.
Uca (#3390)
On December 23, 2025, an aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute saw right whale #3390 “Uca” and her new calf approximately 15 miles east of Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Uca was named after the fiddler crab, whose Latin name is Uca. Her right-side callosity is bigger than her left, reminiscent of the lopsided claws of a fiddler crab.
She is at least 23 years old and this is her second known calf. Her first calf was a female born in 2012. That calf has not been seen since 2015 and is presumed dead.
Bermuda (#3780)
On December 23, 2025, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission aerial survey team saw right whale #3780 “Bermuda” and her new calf approximately 12 miles east of the St. Mary’s River entrance in Florida.
Bermuda was named for the three islands of callosity on her head that make a triangle. One of the callosities sometimes disappears, reminiscent of the mysterious Bermuda Triangle.
She is at least 19 years old and this is her second known calf. She first calved in 2024 but survey teams observed her without her first calf shortly after birth. A two-year calving interval has only been documented in females whose calves have died on the calving grounds.
Echo (#2642)
On December 21, 2025, an aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute saw right whale #2642 “Echo” and her new calf approximately 22 miles east of Little Saint Simons Island, Georgia. She is 30 years old and this is her fourth known calf. Her last one was born in 2020. Researchers have seen all three of her previous calves this year. Her 2010 calf, “Quill” (#4091), is old enough to calve, but has yet to become a mother.
Echo is one of the North Atlantic right whales who has a white chin, an uncommon trait that she has passed on to her calf!
Tripelago (#2614)
On December 20, 2025, an aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute saw right whale #2614 “Tripelago” and her new calf approximately 38 miles off Ossabaw Island, Georgia. Tripelago was named for the three islands of callosity on her head and a play on the word archipelago. She is 30 years old and this is her sixth known calf. She last calved in 2022. Her 2017 calf, “Atoll” (#4714), is her only female calf. Researchers have seen Atoll this year, and she’s old enough to calve, but has yet to become a mother.
Harmonia (#3101)
On December 17, 2025, a vessel survey team from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources saw right whale #3101 “Harmonia” and her new calf approximately 11 miles east of St. Simons Island, Georgia. She is named after her mother, “Aphrodite” (#1701), as Harmonia is a daughter of the Greek goddess.
Harmonia is 25 years old. She and “Cascade” (#3157) were born in the same year and both had their fourth calves during this calving season! Harmonia's first calf died when she was a year old from a vessel strike. Her second calf has not been seen since 2021. Her third calf, born in 2020, has been seen as recently as this year.
Cascade (#3157)
On December 16, 2025, an aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute saw right whale #3157 “Cascade” and her new calf approximately 21 miles east of Ossabaw Island, Georgia. She was seen without a calf on December 12, making her calf less than 4 days old when the survey team spotted the pair.
Cascade was named for the lesions/scars cascading down the sides of her lips and lower jaw. She is 25 years old and this is her fourth known calf. She last calved in 2022. Her first three calves were all males. The first calf, “FDR” (#4057), was last seen in 2016 with a severe entanglement and is presumed to be dead, but her other two have been seen as recently as this year.
Squilla (#3720)
On December 11, 2025, an aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute saw right whale #3720 “Squilla” and her new calf approximately 10 miles east of Sullivan's Island Lighthouse, South Carolina. She is 19 years old and this is her second known calf. She is named after the shape of her callosity pattern, which resembles the eyes of a Squilla mantis shrimp. This is also a lineage name, because her mom is named Mantis!
Squilla, like three other moms this season, last calved in 2021. That calf became entangled in fishing gear when she was a year old. She died from the entanglement in January 2024.
Bocce (#3860)
On December 10, 2025, an aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute saw right whale #3860 “Bocce” and her new calf approximately 8 miles off Doboy Sound, Georgia. She was named for the distinct callosity pattern on her head that resembles the popular lawn game. She is 18 years old and this is her third known calf. Her first calf, born in 2016, is presumed to have died shortly after birth. However, Bocce was part of a rare calf swap with two other right whale mothers and raised a calf that was not biologically hers. Her 2021 calf, a female (#5160), has been seen as recently as this fall.
Bocce's sister "Millipede" (#3520) also calved again this year! They both previously calved in 2021, along with “Infinity” (#3230), their other sister. Infinity was struck by a vessel off St. Augustine, Florida, in 2021 and is presumed dead, along with her calf.
Callosity Back (#3760)
On December 4, 2025, an aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute saw right whale #3760 “Callosity Back” and her new calf approximately 28 miles east of Pawley’s Island, South Carolina. Callosity Back is 19 years old and this is her first known calf. This is also the first grand-calf for her mom, "Derecha" (#2360)! Callosity Back was named for her very unique callosity feature: She is the only documented whale with a callosity on her back. Callosities traditionally only occur on the head. Callosity Back is also one of the few North Atlantic right whales who was born outside of the southeast calving grounds, potentially off of New England.
Millipede (#3520)
On December 3, 2025, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission aerial survey team saw right whale #3520 “Millipede” and her new calf approximately 5 miles east of the St. Mary’s River entrance in Florida. Millipede was named for the series of shallow propeller scars along her side that resemble the many segments of a millipede. She is 21 years old and this is her third known calf. Her first calf, born in 2013, was never catalogued. Her 2021 calf, a male (#5192), was seen as recently as this summer. Millipede's sister "Bocce" (#3860), also calved again this year!
Champagne (#3904)
On November 28, 2025, an aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute saw right whale #3904 “Champagne” and her calf approximately 7 miles off Ocean Isles Beach, North Carolina. Champagne was named for her callosity pattern, which looks like bubbles in the sparkling beverage. She is 17 years old and this is her second known calf. Her 2021 calf, Wall-E (#5104), a male, was seen as recently as this summer. Champagne was seen in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast just last season, an unusual visit to make 2 years in a row!
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 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. They include the areas 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 in the Southeast
Government agencies and partners fund and conduct right whale aerial and vessel surveys between North Carolina and Florida during the calving season to track right whales. They include the Army Corps of Engineers, Coast Guard, Navy, NOAA, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute.
All of these aerial and vessel 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 visual support for biopsy efforts
- Detect and respond to reports of dead, injured, and entangled whales
We use additional strategies and technologies to monitor the health of, and threats to, right whales during their calving season. These range from underwater vehicles and listening devices to shipboard surveys and drones. Our scientists analyze this information to detect trends in abundance, demographics, residency, genetics, behavior, and human-caused mortality.
Identifying as many individual right whales each year as possible is crucial for monitoring the population. We use data on individual whales in models that estimate the total number of right whales.
Collecting Genetic Samples to Identify Right Whales
Boat-based teams from NOAA, 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. This data strengthens our population models.
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 they 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.
Before 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, right whale slow zones, and recent whale sightings near your location.
Learn more about U.S. vessel speed regulations and programs for right whales
Learn more about how you can help North Atlantic right whales