Right Whale Migration Update: March 15, 2000 Today's Report Includes: Greetings from the Stellwagen Bank Not Much to Report About Mother/Calf Pairs There are Lots of Whales Out There Whales and Fishing Line Don't Go Together Whales Ahoy!! Challenge Questions #7, 8, and 9 How to Respond to Today's Challenge Questions Greetings from the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. I'm Anne Smrcina, the education coordinator of the sanctuary and your humpback whale correspondent. I'll be contacting a variety of scientists and naturalists and government officials over the next few months to give you the latest updates on humpback whale migrations and status of the population. Not Much to Report About Mother/Calf Pairs Still no sightings of mothers and calves up north (and few sightings Not Much to Report About Mother/Calf Pairs from the southern calving grounds).We still wait and hope for some good news. Last year we had hoped that the females were stocking up on good food to bulk up their resources and produce more calves this year. There are Lots of Whales Out There The last time we reported lots of sightings of right whales. They are still being seen in plentiful numbers in Cape Cod Bay, with overflights and boat patrols counting upwards of 30-40 per day (with good weather). Whales and Fishing Line Don't Go Together A couple of weeks ago an entangled right whale was sighted. The Center for Coastal Studies disentanglement team was notified and got to the whale just before dusk. They were able to verify that the animal was entangled in fishing gear which looked to be wrapped around a flipper (with line trailing quite a distance behind). Unfortunately, the researchers were not able to get the line free from the whale, nor were they able to attach a satellite tag (which they use to track the whale). With the approach of darkness, the team was forced to break off the rescue attempt. Subsequent surveys proved disappointing as the whale was not relocated. (Although entangled, the whale was still able to swim, but it is not known how disabling the entanglement is. Rope has been known to cut down through the skin and blubber to cause dangerous and life-threatening injuries.) This is Anne Smrcina, education coordinator of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, signing off. Whales Ahoy!! Coastal waters off Georgia and Florida have been designated as "critical habitat" for the Northern Right Whale by the US government since 1993. The US Navy helps coordinate the sightings of right whales in these protected breeding areas. Link to Navy sighting data: http://www.facsfac.jaxm.navy.mil/rightwhale.html Read through the Navy data collected this breeding season (Dec. through March), and see if you can take on these challenging questions: Challenge Question # 7: "How many times have right whale adults been sighted in the Right Whale Critical Habitat off the Florida/Georgia Coasts?" Challenge Question #8: "How many times have right whale calves been sighted in the Right Whale Critical Habitat off the Florida/Georgia Coasts?" Challenge Question #9: For all the right whale sightings, what is the average depth and the average distance from shore of their sighting. (To respond to these questions, please follow the instructions below.) How to Respond to Today's Right Whale Challenge Question: 1. Address an E-mail message to: jn-challenge-rwhale@learner.org 2. In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question #7 (or #8, or #9). 3. In the body of the EACH message, give your answer to ONE question above. The Next Right Whale Migration Update will Be Posted on March 29, 2000 Copyright 2000 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form