Spotters have been out in airplanes looking since December, but so far no Right Whale calves have been seen. Last year 15 adults died, so the lack of births brings the species closer to extinction. There have been few births in recent years and a number of deaths. The over all population numbers are low and getting lower. If there is not a turn around in numbers soon, we may be watching an animal species moving towards extinction.
http://time.com/5216204/endangered-right...xtinction/
There is not much we can do about their ability to have calves unless we clean up the oceans. It is hard to say how much pollution has contributed to the problem. Certainly pollution and garbage and over fishing have cut down food sources available for marine mammals. We have been harvesting krill for our own use and that may have created a problem for the right whales.
Many of the deaths were caused by collisions with ships. Reducing ship speed in some areas could help. Some whales have died because they were tangled in lost fishing gear. Better control of that situation might help. I think we are going to do what we can, but it may be too late already. We won't know for sure and we can't quite trying to save them until the last whale washes up on shore. Until then we need to do everything we can to save this species.
It is the least we can do since this is our fault in the end.
http://time.com/5216204/endangered-right...xtinction/
There is not much we can do about their ability to have calves unless we clean up the oceans. It is hard to say how much pollution has contributed to the problem. Certainly pollution and garbage and over fishing have cut down food sources available for marine mammals. We have been harvesting krill for our own use and that may have created a problem for the right whales.
Many of the deaths were caused by collisions with ships. Reducing ship speed in some areas could help. Some whales have died because they were tangled in lost fishing gear. Better control of that situation might help. I think we are going to do what we can, but it may be too late already. We won't know for sure and we can't quite trying to save them until the last whale washes up on shore. Until then we need to do everything we can to save this species.
It is the least we can do since this is our fault in the end.
![[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-rtQnRVnpHuw/Upv4HXYM20I/AAAAAAAAAqo/K5MmSTvkZdA/w296-h229-p-no/IMG_9091.JPG)
Catherine
