Right Whale

We love the North Atlantic Right Whale, and it’s not just because it’s our state marine mammal. These beautiful creatures have captivated us and many other Georgians since they were first spotted off our coast in the 1980s.

Each fall, female right whales make their annual winter migration from the frigid waters of New England and Nova Scotia to give birth in the temperate coastal waters of Georgia and Florida. Watchful Georgians flock to the seashore to scan the horizon for signs of a tailfin or the spray from a surfaced whale.

Unfortunately, the right whale is critically endangered. Estimates are that only 350 to 400 whales are left on Earth. The Georgia Conservancy has made it our mission to do everything we can to protect them. In 1987, Coastal Director Hans Neuhauser was named chairman of a national right whale recovery team. In 1989, we helped prepare a report for the National Marine Fisheries Service recommending ways to reduce manmade threats to whales. Today, we continue to raise public awareness about these creatures and ensure that new fishing and maritime regulations do not inadvertently harm them.

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Below you will find stories and links to keep you up-to-date on the beloved right whale.

2011-2012 Calving Season

Poor calving season for right whales.

A Right Whale's Guardian Angel.

U.S. court hears case against Navy training range near right whale calving grounds.

We support limiting sea bass pots to prevent right whale entanglements.

Check out this album of photos from the 2011-2012 calving season.

Teams try to assist entangled whale off Georgia coast.

Read our Q&A with whale expert and Conservancy member Cathy Sakas.

First whale of the calving season spotted.

2010-2011 Calving Season

Read an article from our Summer 2011 Panorama about a threat to the right whale's calving grounds.