A surprise North Atlantic right whale calf brought the season’s count to 24.
The calf was not newly born this week; it was newly identified after evading months of surveys.
Scientists identified a surprise calf with North Atlantic right whale Silt, raising the latest 2025–2026 calving-season total to 24.
WHAT HAPPENED
On September 25, researchers photographed a mother-and-calf pair near Anticosti Island, Quebec. After comparing the images with the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog, New England Aquarium scientists identified the mother as Silt, an adult first seen in 1988, and confirmed that the calf had not been recorded during winter, spring or summer surveys. The discovery raises the cohort to 24 calves, the highest season total since 2009 and the fourth-highest on record.
WHY THIS IS HOPESLOP
For a species with only about 380 animals left, every calf matters—and this one managed a small feat of oceanic invisibility. The hopeful fact is precise: scientists now know the season included one more calf than they thought. The work ahead is just as precise: reduce entanglements and vessel strikes so this calf has a chance to grow up.
ORIGINAL SOURCENew England AquariumRead the original report
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