North Atlantic right whale population shows modest increase

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium released its official population estimate for 2024, showing the critically endangered species increased to 384 whales, up from 376 the previous year.

The 2.1% increase represents eight additional whales and marks the fourth consecutive year of modest population growth for the species.

“It’s modest. It’s still a really small number... But especially after so many years of bad news, it’s really encouraging just to have some good news,” said Philip Hamilton, senior scientist with the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life.

WTOC has been covering these whales and their risk of extinction for years now.

Conservation efforts continue

The whales migrate to the Georgia coast each December to give birth. Conservation groups have implemented technology to reduce boat strikes, which along with net entanglements remain the leading causes of injury and death for the species.

“We can actually see through vessel software that they’re required to have on where those vessels are. So we can try and help reduce when a whale and a vessel are too close to each other and hopefully help the vessel make decisions to slow down when a whale and calf are present,” said Shannon Colbert, senior vice president of external affairs for the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation has worked with conservationists to install technology designed to protect the marine mammals from vessel strikes.

Population remains critically low

Despite the increase, experts emphasized the population remains dangerously small. The North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium held a conference this week to discuss the new numbers.

“There are fewer right whales in the ocean, this species, than are at this conference. That’s not okay,” Hamilton said. “We definitely have to keep our management efforts moving forward. We’re not there at all yet.”

No deaths have been detected so far in 2025, but conservationists said continued vigilance is necessary.

“Still warrants a lot of work on our side when it comes to species conservation and just getting awareness on what are some things we can do in order to help the species,” Colbert said.

Four mothers gave birth for the first time this year, increasing the pool of female whales that can reproduce.