NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — A fifth Right whale calf was spotted 13 nautical miles off Nassau Sound near Amelia Island State Park on Sat., Dec. 23.
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The newborn calf and her mother, ‘Braces’, were recorded by The Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI). FWRI said mom is at least 26 years old, and this is her third calf. She last gave birth two years ago during the 2022 calving season.
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The sighting is significant not only for the Right whale population numbers but for ‘Braces’ as a mother.
FWRI believes that a two-year gap between calves means that the previous calf died at a young age.
“Healthy females can successfully raise a calf every three years: they are pregnant for about a year, raise the calf the following year, then recover and become pregnant again in the third year,” FWRI said in a Facebook post about the sighting. “Catalog #3320 (Braces) did not nurse her previous calf for long, so she was able to retain her fat stores and become pregnant again quickly.”
Related Story: Marineland looking for North Atlantic Right Whale survey volunteers during winter months
‘Braces’ had a 13-year gap between births in 2009 and 2022.
Related Story: It’s calving season; Right whale and her calf spotted off Georgia coast
Reproduction of the species and the ability to record birthing numbers are extremely important to understanding overall population numbers.
FWRI said if you want to learn more about the long-term monitoring efforts, like those in the Southeast U.S., to help researchers better understand the North Atlantic Right Whale Road to Recovery, click on this link.
Also, Marineland in St. Augustine is looking for North Atlantic Right Whale survey volunteers during the winter month. If you are interested in helping record sightings you can email at mainelandrightwhale@gmail.com or call Sara at 207-281-3541 for more information.
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