Skip to main content
Unsupported Browser Detected

Internet Explorer lacks support for the features of this website. For the best experience, please use a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Mail |
SITE INDEX
CONTACT US
Close Promo Banner
NOAA Fisheries Home Logo
Menu
  • Find A Species
      • Find a Species
      • Managed Species
      • Highly Migratory Species
      • Invertebrates
      • Salmon & Steelhead
      • Sharks
      • Protected Species
      • All Threatened & Endangered Species
      • Corals & Other Invertebrates
      • Dolphins & Porpoises
      • Fish & Sharks
      • Sea Turtles
      • Seals & Sea Lions
      • Whales
      • Species By Region
      • Alaska
      • New England/Mid-Atlantic
      • Pacific Islands
      • Southeast
      • West Coast
      • Helpful Resources
      • Marine Life Viewing Guidelines
      • Marine Life in Distress
      • Report a Stranded or Injured Marine Animal
      • Species in the Spotlight
  • Fishing & Seafood
      • Sustainable Fisheries
      • Bycatch
      • Catch Shares
      • Fishery Observers
      • Illegal, Unregulated, Unreported Fishing
      • Magnuson-Stevens Act
      • Population Assessments
      • Resources for Fishing
      • Commercial Fishing
      • Recreational Fishing
      • Subsistence Fishing
      • Fishery Management Info
      • Permits & Forms
      • Rules & Regulations by Region
      • Sustainable Seafood
      • Aquaculture
      • Commerce & Certification
      • Seafood Inspection
      • Trade
      • Related Topics
      • Atlantic Highly Migratory Species
      • Cooperative Research
      • Enforcement
      • Financial Services
      • International Affairs
      • Science & Data
      • Socioeconomics
  • Protecting Marine Life
      • Endangered Species Conservation
      • Consultations
      • Critical Habitat
      • Endangered Species Act
      • Population Assessments
      • Species Recovery
      • Species in the Spotlight
      • Marine Mammal Protection
      • Health & Stranding Response
      • Marine Mammal Protection Act
      • Population Assessments
      • Take Reduction Plans
      • Marine Life in Distress
      • Report a Stranded or Injured Marine Animal
      • Bycatch
      • Ocean Acoustics/Noise
      • Unusual Mortality Events
      • Vessel Strikes
      • Related Topics
      • Marine Life Viewing Guidelines
      • Enforcement
      • Funding Opportunities
      • International Cooperation
      • Permits & Authorizations
      • Regulations & Actions
      • Science & Data
  • Environment
      • Ecosystems
      • U.S. Regional Ecosystems
      • Management
      • Science
      • Habitat Conservation
      • Habitat Restoration
      • Habitat Protection
      • Types of Habitat
      • Habitat by Region
      • Science
      • Consultations
      • Climate
      • Understanding the Impacts
      • Responding to Change
  • Regions
      • Our Regions
      • Alaska
      • New England/ Mid-Atlantic
      • Pacific Islands
      • Southeast
      • West Coast
      • Contact Us
      • Regional Offices
      • Science Centers
  • Resources & Services
      • Rules & Regulations
      • Fisheries Rules & Regs
      • Fisheries Management Info
      • Protected Resources Regs & Actions
      • Permits
      • Fishing & Seafood
      • Protected Resources
      • International & Trade
      • Funding & Financial Services
      • Funding Opportunities
      • Financial Services
      • Prescott Grants
      • Saltonstall-Kennedy Grants
      • Habitat Restoration Grants
      • Consultations
      • Habitat
      • Endangered Species
      • Tribal
      • Science & Data
      • Research
      • Surveys
      • Data
      • Maps & GIS
      • Publications
      • Published Research
      • Key Reports
      • Documents
      • Publication Databases
      • Laws & Policies
      • Magnuson-Stevens Act
      • Endangered Species Act
      • Marine Mammal Protection Act
      • Policies
      • Outreach & Education
      • For Educators
      • For Students
      • Educational Materials
      • Events
  • About Us
      • NOAA Fisheries
      • Our Mission
      • Who We Are
      • Where We Work
      • Our History
      • News & Media
      • News & Announcements
      • Bulletins
      • Multimedia
      • Science Blogs
      • Events
      • Video Gallery
      • Careers & More
      • Internships
      • Volunteering & Citizen Science
      • Diversity & Inclusion
      • Contact Us
      • National Program Offices
      • Regional Offices
      • Science Centers
      • Our Partners
      • Regional Fishery Management Councils
      • Marine Fishery Advisory Committee
      • Federal Partners
      • State Partners
      • Tribal Governments
      • Non-Government Organizations
    • Find A Species
        Back
        Find A Species
          Find a Species
        • Managed Species
        • Highly Migratory Species
        • Invertebrates
        • Salmon & Steelhead
        • Sharks
          Protected Species
        • All Threatened & Endangered Species
        • Corals & Other Invertebrates
        • Dolphins & Porpoises
        • Fish & Sharks
        • Sea Turtles
        • Seals & Sea Lions
        • Whales
          Species By Region
        • Alaska
        • New England/Mid-Atlantic
        • Pacific Islands
        • Southeast
        • West Coast
          Helpful Resources
        • Marine Life Viewing Guidelines
        • Marine Life in Distress
        • Report a Stranded or Injured Marine Animal
        • Species in the Spotlight
    • Fishing & Seafood
        Back
        Fishing & Seafood
          Sustainable Fisheries
        • Bycatch
        • Catch Shares
        • Fishery Observers
        • Illegal, Unregulated, Unreported Fishing
        • Magnuson-Stevens Act
        • Population Assessments
          Resources for Fishing
        • Commercial Fishing
        • Recreational Fishing
        • Subsistence Fishing
        • Fishery Management Info
        • Permits & Forms
        • Rules & Regulations by Region
          Sustainable Seafood
        • Aquaculture
        • Commerce & Certification
        • Seafood Inspection
        • Trade
          Related Topics
        • Atlantic Highly Migratory Species
        • Cooperative Research
        • Enforcement
        • Financial Services
        • International Affairs
        • Science & Data
        • Socioeconomics
    • Protecting Marine Life
        Back
        Protecting Marine Life
          Endangered Species Conservation
        • Consultations
        • Critical Habitat
        • Endangered Species Act
        • Population Assessments
        • Species Recovery
        • Species in the Spotlight
          Marine Mammal Protection
        • Health & Stranding Response
        • Marine Mammal Protection Act
        • Population Assessments
        • Take Reduction Plans
          Marine Life in Distress
        • Report a Stranded or Injured Marine Animal
        • Bycatch
        • Ocean Acoustics/Noise
        • Unusual Mortality Events
        • Vessel Strikes
          Related Topics
        • Marine Life Viewing Guidelines
        • Enforcement
        • Funding Opportunities
        • International Cooperation
        • Permits & Authorizations
        • Regulations & Actions
        • Science & Data
    • Environment
        Back
        Environment
          Ecosystems
        • U.S. Regional Ecosystems
        • Management
        • Science
          Habitat Conservation
        • Habitat Restoration
        • Habitat Protection
        • Types of Habitat
        • Habitat by Region
        • Science
        • Consultations
          Climate
        • Understanding the Impacts
        • Responding to Change
    • Regions
        Back
        Regions
          Our Regions
        • Alaska
        • New England/ Mid-Atlantic
        • Pacific Islands
        • Southeast
        • West Coast
          Contact Us
        • Regional Offices
        • Science Centers
    • Resources & Services
        Back
        Resources & Services
          Rules & Regulations
        • Fisheries Rules & Regs
        • Fisheries Management Info
        • Protected Resources Regs & Actions
          Permits
        • Fishing & Seafood
        • Protected Resources
        • International & Trade
          Funding & Financial Services
        • Funding Opportunities
        • Financial Services
        • Prescott Grants
        • Saltonstall-Kennedy Grants
        • Habitat Restoration Grants
          Consultations
        • Habitat
        • Endangered Species
        • Tribal
          Science & Data
        • Research
        • Surveys
        • Data
        • Maps & GIS
          Publications
        • Published Research
        • Key Reports
        • Documents
        • Publication Databases
          Laws & Policies
        • Magnuson-Stevens Act
        • Endangered Species Act
        • Marine Mammal Protection Act
        • Policies
          Outreach & Education
        • For Educators
        • For Students
        • Educational Materials
        • Events
    • About Us
        Back
        About Us
          NOAA Fisheries
        • Our Mission
        • Who We Are
        • Where We Work
        • Our History
          News & Media
        • News & Announcements
        • Bulletins
        • Multimedia
        • Science Blogs
        • Events
        • Video Gallery
          Careers & More
        • Internships
        • Volunteering & Citizen Science
        • Diversity & Inclusion
          Contact Us
        • National Program Offices
        • Regional Offices
        • Science Centers
          Our Partners
        • Regional Fishery Management Councils
        • Marine Fishery Advisory Committee
        • Federal Partners
        • State Partners
        • Tribal Governments
        • Non-Government Organizations
Species Directory

North Pacific Right Whale

Overview Conservation & Management Science Resources

North Pacific Right Whale

Eubalaena japonica

North Pacific right whale illustration

Protected Status

ESA Endangered
Throughout Its Range
CITES Appendix I
Throughout Its Range
MMPA Protected
Throughout Its Range
MMPA Depleted
Throughout Its Range

Quick Facts

Weight
Up to 100 tons
Lifespan
At least 70 years
Length
45 to 64 feet
Threats
Vessel strikes, Entanglement in fishing gear, Marine debris, Ocean noise, Biotoxins from harmful algal blooms, Climate change, Oil and gas development
Region
Alaska, West Coast
See Regulatory Actions
North Pacific right whale swimming in the ocean.

About The Species

North Pacific right whales are the rarest of all large whale species and among the rarest of all marine mammal species. Two other species of right whale exist in the world’s oceans: the North Atlantic right whale, which is found in the North Atlantic Ocean, and the southern right whale, which is found in the southern hemisphere. North Pacific right whales are baleen whales, which feed by straining huge volumes of ocean water through their comb-like baleen plates that trap shrimp-like krill and small fish.

Commercial whaling greatly reduced right whale populations in the Pacific ocean. Whaling is no longer a threat, but human activity such as entanglement in fishing gear and marine debris, vessel strikes, impacts from climate change, and ocean noise, continue to endanger this species.

NOAA Fisheries is committed to conserving and protecting the North Pacific right whale. Our scientists and partners use a variety of innovative techniques to study, learn more about, and protect this species.

Status

North Pacific right whales have been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act since 1970. There are no reliable estimates of current abundance or trends for right whales in the North Pacific. The North Pacific right whale population is very small, likely in the low 100s, and most sightings have been of single whales, though small groups have been sighted.

Learn more about the North Pacific right whale population

Protected Status

ESA Endangered

  • Throughout Its Range

CITES Appendix I

  • Throughout Its Range

MMPA Protected

  • Throughout Its Range

MMPA Depleted

  • Throughout Its Range

Appearance

The North Pacific right whale has a stocky black body, although some individuals have white patches on their undersides. They have no dorsal fin, a large head that is about a quarter of their body length, and raised patches of rough skin, called callosities, on the head, over its eyes, behind the blowhole, and around the mouth. The tail is broad, deeply notched, and all black with a smooth trailing edge. Females are slightly larger than males.

Behavior and Diet

Right whales are baleen whales, so they filter their food by straining huge volumes of ocean water through their baleen plates, which trap shrimp-like krill and small fish. Right whales feed from spring to fall and in winter in certain areas. Their primary food sources are zooplankton, including copepods, euphausiids, and cyprids. Unlike some other baleen whales, right whales are skimmers: they feed while moving with their mouth open through patches of zooplankton.

Where They Live

Right whales have occurred historically in all the world's oceans from temperate to subpolar latitudes. Contemporary sightings of right whales have mostly occurred in the central North Pacific and Bering Sea. Sightings have been reported as far south as central Baja California in the eastern North Pacific, as far south as Hawaii in the central North Pacific, and as far north as the sub-Arctic waters of the Bering Sea and sea of Okhotsk in the summer. Since 1996, right whales have been observed repeatedly in their Critical Habitat in the southeastern Bering Sea during the summer months. Migration patterns of the North Pacific right whale are unknown, although it is thought the whales spend the summer in far northern feeding grounds and migrate south to warmer waters, such as southern California, during the winter. From 1965 to 1999, years during which the U.S.S.R. harvested North Pacific right whales illegally, there were only 82 sightings of right whales in the entire eastern North Pacific, with the majority of those occurring in the Bering Sea and nearby areas of the Aleutian Islands. Calving grounds have not been found in the eastern North Pacific. Worldwide, most known right whale nursery areas are in shallow, coastal waters.

North Pacific right whale range map

World map providing approximate representation of the North Pacific right whale's range.

Lifespan & Reproduction

Using cross-sections of teeth is one way to determine a mammal’s age. However, right whales have no teeth. Therefore, ear bones and, in some cases, eye lenses can be used to estimate age in right whales after they have died. It is believed that right whales live to at least 70 years, but there are little data on longevity.

Right whales probably mate around 8 years old. Females give birth to their first calf at an average age of 9 to 10 years. Females are pregnant for about 12 to 13 months and produce calves approximately every three to five years. Calves are born able to swim, and mothers and calves form a very close attachment. Calves stay close to their mothers, swimming up on their backs or butting them with their heads. Mother may roll over on their backs and hold their calves in their flippers. Calves are usually weaned toward the end of their first year.

Threats

Because of their rarity and scattered distribution, it is nearly impossible to assess the threats to this species, but possible threats include:

Vessel Strikes

Inadvertent vessel strikes can injure or kill North Pacific right whales. Vessel strikes are a primary cause of death in North Atlantic right whales, and it is likely that North Pacific right whales are also vulnerable to this threat. As arctic sea ice continues to decline, the projected increase in ship traffic from the opening of trans-polar shipping routes will increase the risk of vessel strikes, and also increase ambient noise and pollution.

Entanglement

North Pacific right whales can become entangled in fishing gear and marine debris, either swimming off with the gear attached or becoming anchored. While there are very few known entanglements of North Pacific right whales, entanglement in fishing gear, including traps or pots or gillnets, is a significant source of mortality for North Atlantic right whales, and has been documented on Western Arctic bowhead whales which seasonally occupy the same areas as North Pacific right whales. Once entangled, whales may drag attached gear for long distances, ultimately resulting in fatigue, compromised feeding ability, or severe injury, which may lead to reduced reproductive success and death.

Ocean Noise

Underwater noise pollution interrupts the normal behavior of right whales, which rely on sound to communicate. If loud enough, ocean noise can cause permanent or temporary hearing loss.

Biotoxins from Harmful Algal Blooms

Harmful algal blooms have been documented in North Atlantic and southern right whales and identified as a threat to both populations. It has been suggested that effects from HABs could heighten the whales’ susceptibility to both ship strikes and entanglements. There is concern about the emerging prevalence of algal toxins in habitat used by North Pacific right whales. Due to lack of access to the species, algal toxins have not been found in North Pacific right whales; however, they have been documented in bowhead whale carcasses in the Arctic, which can be used as a proxy for right whales. Domoic acid and saxitoxin was present in 68 percent and 32 percent, respectively, of bowhead whale carcasses examined from the Arctic, the highest prevalence of the 13 species examined in a study looking at harmful algal blooms in Arctic marine mammals.

Climate Change

The impacts of climate change on baleen whales are unknown, but it is considered one of the largest threats facing remote habitat in the North Pacific. Most notably, the timing and distribution of zooplankton prey is largely governed by sea ice coverage and could change dramatically with altered oceanographic conditions. Changes in zooplankton distribution could lead to nutritional stress and diminished reproduction for North Pacific right whales. Additionally, changing water temperature and currents could impact the timing of environmental cues important for navigation and migration, and the location of critical habitat within the North Pacific right whale range. Changes in ice extent, density, and persistence could alter the dynamics of the Bering Sea shelf zooplankton community, and in turn, affect the foraging behavior and success of right whales.

Scientific Classification

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Cetacea
Family Balaenidae
Genus Eubalaena
Species japonica

What We Do

Conservation & Management

NOAA Fisheries is committed to the protection and recovery of North Pacific right whales. Targeted management actions taken to secure protections for these whales include:

  • Consulting with federal agencies to ensure proposed actions are not likely to jeopardize right whales due to noise disturbance, vessel strikes, or other stressors.

  • Developing oil spill response plans in the event of spills.

  • Educating the public about right whales and the threats they face.

  • Educating mariners about safe vessel speeds around whales.

  • Developing identification guides for mariners and subsistence hunters.

Learn more about our conservation efforts

Science

Our research projects have discovered new aspects of right whale biology, behavior, and ecology and helped us better understand the challenges that all right whales face. This research is especially important in rebuilding endangered populations. Our work includes:

  • Year-round passive acoustic monitoring.

  • Updating and maintaining a photo identification catalog.

  • Opportunistic boat surveys.

  • Obtaining biopsy samples for genetic analysis.

Learn more about our research

How You Can Help

Marine Life In Distress

Report Marine Life in Distress

Report a sick, injured, entangled, stranded, or dead animal to make sure professional responders and scientists know about it and can take appropriate action. Numerous organizations around the country are trained and ready to respond. Never approach or try to save an injured or entangled animal yourself—it can be dangerous to both the animal and you.

Learn who you should contact when you encounter a stranded or injured marine animal >

Keep your distance.

Keep Your Distance

Be responsible when viewing marine life in the wild. Observe all large whales from a safe distance of at least 100 yards and limit your time spent observing to 30 minutes or less.

Learn more about our marine life viewing guidelines >

Report a Violation

Report a Violation

Call the NOAA Fisheries Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964 to report a federal marine resource violation. This hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for anyone in the United States.

You may also contact your closest NOAA Office of Law Enforcement field during regular business hours.


Featured News

04AE001DEJ_112_p1.jpg
Feature Story

First Recording of North Pacific Right Whale Song

Alaska
2018WrightNPRW_1.jpg
Feature Story

New Study Sheds Light on Mysterious Movements of Rarest Great Whale

Alaska
NP right whale thumb.jpg
Feature Story

What You Need to Know About the Critically Endangered Whale You’ve Never Heard Of

Alaska
NP_right_whale_A Kennedy_PRIEST2009_Bering Sea.jpg
Feature Story

Search for Rare and Critically Endangered North Pacific Right Whale Begins First Dedicated Survey in Gulf of Alaska in More than a Decade

Alaska
View More News

Related Species

North Atlantic right whale illustration

North Atlantic Right Whale

Illustration of Southern right whale

Southern Right Whale

bowhead whale illustration

Bowhead Whale

Humpback illustration

Humpback Whale

North Pacific right whales are considered to exist in two populations based on geographic distribution: eastern and western North Pacific. The range of eastern North Pacific right whales is believed to encompass the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea, while the western population ranges from near the Commander Islands, the coast of Kamchatka, along the Kuril Islands and in the Sea of Okhotsk.

There are few reliable estimates of the current number of North Pacific right whales, but it is thought to be in the low 100s. There may have been as many as as many as 37,000 North Pacific right whales before commercial whaling drastically reduced populations in the 19th century.

Eastern Population

The eastern population of North Pacific right whales is one of the smallest large whale populations in U.S. waters. The eastern population may only have only 30 animals. After being hunted extensively in the nineteenth century, they were protected by international treaties in the 1930s and 1940s. Despite these protections, illegal Soviet whaling in U.S. waters during the 1960s decimated the already reduced population, and there have been no signs of recovery since. In fact, for many years, the whales were so rarely seen that sightings of individuals warranted publication.

Since 1996, North Pacific right whales have been found repeatedly in or near their Critical Habitat, a small area of the southeastern Bering Sea. Even though there have been substantial research efforts in this area in certain years, the entire photographic idenitification catalog of Bering Sea right whales (as of 2017) only includes 23 individuals, and the genetics archive contains only twenty-one individuals. 

The population in the Bering Sea is thought to number only about twenty-eight whales, with twenty males and eight females. The small number of females is of great concern, and relatively few calves and juveniles have been seen in the last few decades (one in 2002,two in 2004, and one in 2017). Even fewer whales have been seen in the Gulf of Alaska, with only a few individuals ever identified (in 2005, 2006, 2013, and 2017). During recent ship surveys in the Gulf of Alaska in 2009 and 2013, no right whales were seen, but at least three individuals were detected acoustically.

Dedicated aerial surveys, ship surveys, and satellite tagging research on North Pacific right whales in the Bering Sea have not been conducted since 2010 due to a lack of funding. The only current field research on North Pacific right whales consists of several acoustic recorders in the Bering Sea that can detect their occurrence.

Western Population

The area inhabited by North Pacific right whales from the western stock includes Russian and Japanese territorial and exclusive economic zone waters and some international waters, even in the center of the Sea of Okhotsk. As a result, surveys for whales have generally not been comprehensive. Therefore, information on distribution and abundance from the western stock is limited, and its status is currently unknown.

The only existing estimate of the western North Pacific right whale population comes from 3 Japanese minke whale sighting surveys in the Sea of Okhotsk conducted between 1989 and 1992. This estimate was 922 animals; however, biases were identified in the survey methodology, and the estimate should be considered unreliable given its low precision. The population estimate for the western stock is likely in the low hundreds.

In the western North Pacific, recent sightings of right whales have been reported. These include five observations of a total of ten animals in June 2012 in offshore waters some 290 miles southeast of Kamchatka, together with a pair of whales recorded in June 2013 east of the Kuril Islands. A breaching right whale was observed during a sightseeing cruise off the Shiretoko Peninsula, Japan in July 2013 making it the first confirmed sighting in the area for several decades and the first recorded in Hokkaido. In February 2015, a young right whale was found entangled in aquaculture gear at Namhae, South Korea, and successfully released, making it the first record of this species in the Sea of Japan in 41 years. In October 2016, an entangled right whale was reported to have died while being disentangled in Volcano Bay, Hokkaido, Japan.

In the Spotlight

Management Overview

The North Pacific right whale has been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act since 1973 when it was listed as the "northern right whale." It was originally listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Conservation Act, the precursor to the ESA, in June 1970. The species is also designated as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

In 2005, the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned NOAA Fisheries (PDF, 7 pages) to list the North Pacific right whale, as endangered, and NOAA Fisheries issued a 90-day finding. In 2006, the Center for Biological Diversity filed its intent to sue after NOAA Fisheries did not make a 12-month finding. In 2008, NOAA Fisheries reclassified the endangered northern right whale as two separate, endangered species: North Pacific right whale (E. japonica) and North Atlantic right whale (E. glacialis).

North Pacific right whale.

North Pacific right whale.


Recovery Planning and Implementation

Recovery Action

Under the ESA, NOAA Fisheries is required to develop and implement recovery plans for the conservation and survival of listed species.

NOAA Fisheries announced the availability of the North Pacific Right Whale Recovery Plan in June 2013.

The goal of the plan is to recover the species, with an interim goal of down-listing their status from "endangered" to "threatened."

The major actions recommended in the plan are:

  • Reduce or eliminate injury or mortality caused by ship collision.
  • Reduce or eliminate injury and mortality caused by fisheries and fishing gear.
  • Protect habitats essential to the survival and recovery of the species.
  • Minimize effects of vessel disturbance.
  • Continue international ban on hunting and other directed take.
  • Monitor the population size and trends in abundance of the species.
  • Maximize efforts to free entangled or stranded right whales and acquire scientific information from dead specimens.

NOAA Fisheries initiated a 5-year review of the North Pacific right whale under the ESA. The review was completed in 2017 and concluded that due to insufficient data, a high demographic risk, and major risks that are not well understood, this species remains endangered.

Read the 5-year review document

Implementation

The ESA authorizes NOAA Fisheries to appoint recovery teams to assist with the development and implementation of recovery plans. The Northern Right Whale Recovery Team was appointed in July 1987. A Draft Recovery Plan for the Northern Right Whale (including both the North Atlantic and North Pacific right whales) was distributed for public comment in February 1990. Comments were received from the federal government, state and local governments, conservation organizations, and private individuals. Appropriate comments were incorporated into the plan. In December 1991, the Final Recovery Plan for the Northern Right Whale (including both the North Atlantic and North Pacific right whales) was approved. The Plan was revised in 2001 and 2004. It identified known and potential factors affecting the right whale and recommended actions to reduce or eliminate impacts to the species.

In 2008, the endangered northern right whale was reclassified as two separate, endangered species: North Pacific right whale (E. japonica) and North Atlantic right whale (E. glacialis). Today, each species has a recovery plan.

The North Pacific Right Whale Recovery Plan was published in June 2013.

Critical Habitat

Once a species is listed under the ESA, NOAA Fisheries evaluates and identifies whether any areas meet the definition of critical habitat. Those areas may be designated as critical habitat through a rulemaking process.

The designation of an area as critical habitat does not create a closed area, marine protected area, refuge, wilderness reserve, preservation, or other conservation area; nor does the designation affect land ownership. Federal agencies that undertake, fund, or permit activities that may affect these designated critical habitat areas are required to consult with NOAA Fisheries to ensure that their actions do not adversely modify or destroy designated critical habitat.

In 2008, NOAA Fisheries designated critical habitat for the North Pacific right whale.

Learn more about the critical habitat designation for the North Pacific right whale

View the North Pacific right whale critical habitat map


Conservation Efforts

Addressing Ocean Noise

Underwater noise threatens whale populations, interrupting their normal behavior and driving them away from areas important to their survival, such as feeding and breeding grounds. Increasing evidence suggests that exposure to intense underwater sound in some settings may cause some whales to strand and ultimately die. NOAA Fisheries is investigating all aspects of acoustic communication and hearing in marine animals, as well as the effects of sound on whale behavior and hearing. In 2016, we issued technical guidance for assessing the effects of anthropogenic (human-caused) sound on marine mammal hearing.

Learn more about ocean noise

Overseeing Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response

We work with volunteer networks in all coastal states to respond to marine mammal strandings. When stranded animals are found alive, NOAA Fisheries and its partners assess the animal’s health and try to return it to the water. When stranded animals are found dead, our scientists work to understand and investigate the cause of death. Although the cause often remains unknown, scientists can sometimes identify strandings due to disease, harmful algal blooms, vessel strikes, fishing gear entanglements, pollution exposure, and underwater noise. Some strandings can serve as indicators of ocean health, giving insight into larger environmental issues that can have implications for human health and welfare.

Learn more about the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program

Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events

Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, an unusual mortality event (UME) is defined as "a stranding that is unexpected; involves a significant die-off of any marine mammal population; and demands immediate response." To understand the health of marine mammal populations, scientists study unusual mortality events.

Get information on active and past UMEs

Get an overview of marine mammal UMEs


Key Actions and Documents

Actions & Documents Incidental Take

Cook Inlet and Kodiak Marine Mammal Disaster Response Guidelines

NOAA Fisheries, in an effort to increase preparedness for wildlife response under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, has drafted guidelines for marine mammal response in disaster situations in Cook Inlet and Kodiak, Alaska entitled "Cook Inlet and&nbsp…
  • Notice of Availability (84 FR 24102, 05/24/2019)
  • Final Cook Inlet & Kodiak Marine Mammal Disaster Response Guidelines and Append…
  • Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network
Notice
,
Alaska
Published
May 24, 2019

5-Year Review for the North Pacific Right Whale

NOAA Fisheries announces the initiation of 5-year review of a 5-year review of the North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We are requesting submission of any information on these whales that has become…
  • Notice of Initiation of 5-Year Review/Request for Information (82 FR 29842, 06/…
  • Five Year Review: Summary and Evaluation (2017)
  • Five-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation (2012)
  • Status Review of North Atlantic and North Pacific Right Whales (2006)
Notice
,
Alaska
West Coast
Foreign
Published
June 30, 2017

Special Prohibitions for Endangered Marine Mammals

Regulations on approaching endangered humpback whales in Alaska, approaching right whales, special prohibitions relating to endangered Steller sea lion protection, and protective regulations for killer whales in Washington.
  • Title 50, Part 224.103
  • Final Rule: Technical Amendments, Humpback Whale Approach Regulations (81 FR 62…
  • Final Rule: Adding Humpbacks to AK Approach Regulations (78 FR 66139, 11/04/201…
  • Final Rule: WA Killer Whale Approach Regulations (76 FR 20870, 04/14/2011)
  • Final Rule: Technical Revisions - Right Whale Approach Regulations (70 FR 1832,…
  • Final Rule: Humpback Whale Approach Regulations (66 FR 29502, 05/31/2001)
  • Marine Life Viewing Guidelines
  • Be Whale Wise
  • Alaska Marine Mammal Viewing Guidelines
Final Rule
,
Alaska
West Coast
Issued
September 8, 2016

Recovery Plan for North Pacific Right Whales

NOAA Fisheries announces the adoption and availability of the final Recovery Plan for the North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica).
  • Notice of Availability of Final Plan (78 FR 34347)
  • Notice of Availability of Draft Plan (78 FR 4835)
  • Notice of Intent to Update Recovery Plan (77 FR 22760)
  • Final Recovery Plan for the North Pacific Right Whale (2013)
Notice
,
Alaska
West Coast
Effective
June 7, 2013
  • Current page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Next

Incidental Take Authorization: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Marine Geophysical Survey in the Aleutian Islands

NOAA Fisheries has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University (L-DEO) to incidentally harass marine mammals during a marine geophysical survey in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska.   …
  • Notice of Issued IHA
  • Notice of Proposed IHA
  • Issued IHA (pdf, 18 pages)
  • Application (pdf, 126 pages)
  • Final Environmental Assessment
  • Finding of No Significant Impact (pdf, 14 pages)
  • Public Comments (external link)
  • References (pdf, 6 pages)
Notice
,
Alaska
Effective
09/01/2020

Incidental Take Authorization: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Marine Geophysical Survey in the North Pacific Ocean

NOAA Fisheries issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University (L-DEO) to incidentally take, by Level A and/or Level B harassment, marine mammals during a Marine Geophysical Survey in the…
  • Notice of Final IHA
  • Notice of Proposed IHA
  • Issued IHA (pdf, 19 pages)
  • IHA Application (pdf, 134 pages)
  • References Cited (pdf, 39 pages)
  • Public Comments (pdf, 29 pages)
  • EA (pdf, 209 pages)
  • FONSI (pdf, 14 pages)
  • Biological Opinion (pdf, 220 pages)
  • Monitoring Report (pdf, 93 pages)
Notice
,
Pacific Islands
Published
08/31/2018

Incidental Take Authorization: U.S. Navy Operations of Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System Low Frequency Active (SURTASS LFA) Sonar (beginning in

OAA Fisheries, upon request from the U.S. Navy, issues these regulations pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to the use of Surveillance Towed Array Sensor Systems Low Frequency Active (SURTASS…
  • Final Rule
  • Proposed Rule
  • Notice of Receipt of Application for Rulemaking and LOA
  • Issued LOA (pdf, 19 pages)
  • Amended Application November 2018 (pdf, 237 pages)
  • LOA Application (pdf, 225 pages)
  • References (pdf, 32 pages)
  • Stranding Notification and Reporting Plan (pdf, 3 pages)
  • Biological Opinion (pdf, 382 pages)
  • EIS
  • EIS Record of Decision (pdf, 20 pages)
  • Public Comments on Proposed Rule (pdf, 72 pages)
  • Harbor porpoise desktop study (see Publications Section)
  • Public Comment on Notice of Receipt (pdf, 5 pages)
Final Rule
,
Alaska
Pacific Islands
Foreign
Effective
08/12/2019

Incidental Take Authorization: NOAA Fisheries AFSC Fisheries and Ecosystem Research Activities in Pacific and Arctic Oceans

NOAA Fisheries' Office of Protected Resources hereby issues regulations to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to fisheries research conducted in multiple specified geographical regions over the course of five years. These…
  • Notice of Issuance of LOA
  • Final Rule (84 FR 46788, 09/05/2019)
  • Notice of Receipt of LOA Application (82 FR 43223, 09/14/2017)
  • Proposed Rule (83 FR 37638, 08/01/2018)
  • Issued LOA (pdf, 13 pages)
  • LOA Application (pdf, 197 pages)
  • LOA Application Appendices (pdf, 185 pages)
  • Public Comments Received on Proposed Rule (pdf, 10 pages)
  • Final Programmatic EA
  • Public Comments on Notice of Receipt of LOA Application (pdf, 9 pages)
  • FONSI (pdf, 8 pages)
  • Biological Opinion
  • References (pdf, 21 pages)
Final Rule
,
Alaska
Effective
10/07/2019
  • Current page 1
  • Page 2
  • Next

More Information

  • Endangered Species Conservation
  • ESA Consultations
  • How to Report a Stranding
  • International Marine Mammal Conservation
  • Marine Mammal Protection
  • Permits and Authorizations
  • North Pacific Right Whale Contacts

Science Overview

NOAA Fisheries conducts research activities on the biology, behavior, and ecology of right whales. The results of this research are used to inform management decisions and enhance recovery efforts for this endangered species.

The head of a North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica).jpg

North Pacific right whale.

Stock Assessments

Determining the number of right whales in each population—and whether a stock is increasing or decreasing over time—helps resource managers assess the success of enacted conservation measures. Our scientists collect information and present these data in annual stock assessment reports. 

Acoustic Science

NOAA Fisheries also conducts research on the acoustic environment of cetaceans, including right whales. Acoustics is the science of how sound is transmitted. This research involves methods to locate right whales using passive acoustic arrays.

Learn more about acoustic science

Research & Data

2019 Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals

Distribution and Relative Abundance of Marine Mammals in the Eastern…
October 28, 2020 - Survey ,
Alaska

Recovery Action Database

Tracks the implementation of recovery actions from Endangered Species Act…
February 10, 2020 - Database ,
National

Song Production by the North Pacific Right Whale, Eubalaena Japonica

This paper describes song production by the eastern North Pacific right…
June 17, 2019 - Peer-Reviewed Research ,
Alaska

2018 Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals

This report describes field activities of the Aerial Surveys of Arctic…
April 24, 2019 - Survey ,
Alaska
View More

More Information

  • NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center Marine Mammal Laboratory
  • Climate
  • Population Assessments
  • Scientific Research Permitting

Recent Science Blogs

Survey

2019 Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals - Post 2

Survey
ASAMM-image3-post2.jpg
Survey

2019 Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals - Post 1

Survey
ASAMMPicture3-Plain.jpg
View More

Documents

Document

Cook Inlet & Kodiak Marine Mammal Disaster Response Guidelines and Appendices

Cook Inlet and Kodiak Marine Mammal Disaster Response Guidelines (CIKMMDRG) address disaster…

Alaska
Document

Biological Opinion Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Coastal Plain Lease Sale

Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7(a)(2) Programmatic Biological Opinion Arctic National…

Alaska
Document

Biological Opinion Liberty Oil and Gas Development and Production Plan Activities, Beaufort Sea, Alaska

Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7(a)(2) Biological Opinion Liberty Oil and Gas Development and…

Alaska
Document

Biological Opinion: Office of Naval Research Arctic Research Activities 2018–2021 and Associated Proposed Issuance of an Incidental Harassment Authorization in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska

Biological opinion considering the possible effects of the proposed research activities on listed…

Alaska
More Documents

Data & Maps

Data

2019 Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals

Distribution and Relative Abundance of Marine Mammals in the Eastern Chukchi Sea, Eastern and…

Alaska
Data

Recovery Action Database

Tracks the implementation of recovery actions from Endangered Species Act (ESA) recovery plans.

National
Data

2018 Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals

This report describes field activities of the Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals (ASAMM)…

Alaska
Data

2017 Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals

This report describes field activities of the Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals (ASAMM)…

Alaska
More Data and Maps

Research

Peer-Reviewed Research

Song Production by the North Pacific Right Whale, Eubalaena Japonica

This paper describes song production by the eastern North Pacific right whale (NPRW, Eubalaena…

Alaska
Peer-Reviewed Research

Acoustic Detection of North Pacific Right Whales in a High-Traffic Aleutian Pass, 2009–2015

Little is known about the winter distribution of the critically endangered eastern population of…

Alaska

North Pacific Right Whale Research in Alaska

The North Pacific right whale. The North Pacific right whale is the rarest of the large whales. Only about 30 individuals are estimated to remain of the Eastern stock that lives in Alaskan waters. Scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Science…

Alaska

Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals

Inter-agency agreements have been established between the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Department of Interior and the Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and…

Alaska
More Research

Outreach & Education

Educational Materials

Acoustic Studies Sound Board of Marine Mammals in Alaska

This resource features passive acoustic sound clips of many amazing marine mammals that can be…

Alaska
More Outreach and Education Materials
Scroll to Top Icon
Sign up for our newsletter
Stay informed of all the latest regional news around NOAA Fisheries
Sign Up Now!
  • NOAA Fisheries
    • About Us
    • Laws & Policies
    • FishWatch
    • NOAA
    • Department of Commerce
    • Site Index
  • For Researchers
    • Published Research
    • Science & Data
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Us
    • Media Inquiries
    • Report a Violation
    • Report a Stranded or Injured Marine Animal
    • NOAA Staff Directory
Follow Us
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube
Can't Find What You Need?
Tour Our Site
How are we doing? Send us your feedback
NOAA Logo
Science. Service. Stewardship.
Accessibility
|
EEO
|
FOIA
|
Information Quality
|
Policies & Disclaimer
|
Privacy Policy
|
USA.gov