The Sundarban
Boomerang (Catalog #2503) and her 2026 calf, sighted on January 1, 2026, approximately 7.5 nautical miles east of the St. Marys River, bordering Georgia and Florida. Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, taken below NOAA allow #26919. Funded by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
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Whereas most of us had been feasting on holiday meals over the past few weeks, the New England Aquarium was busy counting North Atlantic apt whale (Eubalaena glacialis) mom-calf pairs off the coast of Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia.
“Congrats to all of these North Atlantic apt whale moms!” reads a social media publish by the aquarium highlighting six latest sightings, together with Juno—an over 40-year-traditional mom along with her ninth documented calf noticed on December 27.
Juno (Catalog #1612) and her 2026 calf, sighted on December 27, 2025, approximately 7.8nm east of Wassaw Island, Georgia. Image: Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, taken below NOAA allow #26919. Funded by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
On January 8, the depend jumped up to 18 calves, according to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Suitable whale Catalog #4610 and her first known calf noticed east of West Onslow Beach, North Carolina. Whereas Catalog #4610 has no longer acquired an official name yet, she was born in 2016 to mom Swerven.
North Atlantic Suitable Whales can reach 140,000 pounds, grow as long as 52 feet, and make it to 70 years-traditional. They also make contributions significantly to the marine ecosystem—their poop brings vitamins up to the ocean’s surface, and their dead our bodies ultimately feed other creatures.
Within the fall, some apt whales migrate from their northern feeding grounds down to the warmer waters off the United States’ southeast coast for calving season, which lasts from mid-November via mid-April. As of now, the 2025-2026 season has viewed 16 unusual mom and calf pairs.
Binary (Catalog #3010) and her 2026 calf, sighted on December 27, 2025, approximately 6 nautical miles east of Blackbeard Island, Georgia. Image: Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, taken below NOAA allow #26919. Funded by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
Whereas animal mothers with their babies are always an endearing watch to glance, it’s particularly uplifting for North Atlantic apt whales, as the species is critically endangered. After noticing increased deaths in the small population of whales, researchers in Canada and the U.S. declared an Unusual Mortality Match (UME) in 2017 that continues to this day. Thankfully, the population has been slowly increasing—2024 saw a 2.1 p.c increase from 2023’s estimates. As of October2025, last year was also wanting correct.
“Positive, we’re seeing increases. They’re small, and we detached are seeing accidents to animals from human activities. And so, , I say that we’re cautiously optimistic,” Heather Pettis, senior scientist at the New England Aquarium, told Popular Science last year.
Suitable whale Catalog #3593 and calf sighted January 6, 2026 approximately 13.5 nautical miles off Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Image: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, taken below NOAA allow #26919.
There are at explain an estimated 384 North Atlantic apt whales left, less than 80 of which are females that are actively reproducing. Whereas they have increased since 2020’s latest low, researchers stress that we have to continue keeping the population to save these whales from extinction.
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