4 publishers · first seen Fri, 06 Nov 2026 15:47 UTC · updated Fri, 06 Nov 2026 17:03 UTC
Scientists in Canada have discovered an unidentified baby North Atlantic right whale off Anticosti Island in Quebec in September. The New England Aquarium in Boston confirmed the discovery after analyzing photos and data about right whales. The whale was seen with its mother, a 38-year-old whale known to researchers as Silt. The discovery puts the number of baby right whales discovered from the most recent birthing season at 24, the most productive year for the whales since 2009 and the fourth-highest count on record. The whales number only about 380 in the world, and their population has fallen since 2010.
The whales are extensively cataloged with photography by researchers because they are so rare. It's also rare for the researchers who study the whales to miss a baby, but the discovery was a welcome surprise, said Amy Warren, a scientist at the New England Aquarium's Anderson Cabot Center. Baby right whale births are closely tracked by scientists because the tiny population needs successful calving years to remain viable.
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