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Journey North News will be posted on Wednesdays: Jan. 31, Feb. 14, 28, Mar. 14, 28, Apr. 11, 25, May 9 Background About This Study Challenge Questions Ask the Expert Related Resources and Activities Journey North News Right Whale Migration Update: January 31, 2001 We're happy to welcome back Anne Smrcina for another year as our whale correspondent! She tells us about our nation's deepest treasures, the National Marine Sanctuaries. Learn some interesting facts about the large and slow right whales and why for centuries they were the right whales to hunt. And see if you can find out what the big deal was about baleen? Right Whale Migration Update: February 14, 2001 It is time to celebrate! Get out your maps and sharpen up your skills to find where baby calves have been sighted in the southern calving grounds. Good news at last, but why so many calves this year? Read about untangling a right whale, and a picture is worth a thousand words. But, what is the picture? Right Whale Migration Update: February 28, 2001 Great news! A whopping 21 calves counted so far this season. How far do these whales travel to reach their feeding grounds in the north? Aerial survey teams tell harrowing tales of near disasters that were avoided between large ships and whales. More information about the marvels of sonar imaging and how it can help save our precious few right whales. And, the mystery whatzit, what it really is. Right Whale Migration Update: March 14, 2001 The whales are on their way north. Get the latest news from Chris Slay from New England Aquarium's Right Whale Research Group. "There's never been a week like that since the inception of surveys in the calving ground·" Ten mother-calf pairs sighted at once! What do plastic gloves, baggies and styrofoam cups have to do with whales? Grab your lab coats and notebooks; it is time to go to work in the science lab. Right Whale Migration Update: March 28, 2001 This year's calves continue to make a big comeback. Big news has reporters excited! With the calf count now at 26, what does it mean for the struggling Right Whale population? Graph the numbers and discuss factors influencing this species' population dynamics. Ships and right whales collide again; this time a calf was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Look what we are doing to prevent tragedies like this. Right Whale Migration Update: April 11, 2001 Right whale mothers and their calves are now arriving in Cape Cod Bay. Heavy traffic in the shipping lanes continues to be of concern, especially with good eating 5-6 feet below the surface. Pictures from southern waters are in and being processed; there may be 30 or 31 mother/calf pairs counted! And learn some neat things about the wintering whales by analyzing some sighting data. Right Whale Migration Update: April 25, 2001 What's the right food for the right whale? Copepods! And the whales are finding lots of them in Cape Cod Bay this year. This interesting micro-organism supplies the whales with a great deal of rich oils needed to refuel after the long winter without much food. Learn about a Boston Harbor clean up project and how scientists are monitoring the Bay. Follow the route of "Calvin," a whale tangled in fishing line that rescue crews are trying to free. And sharpen your data analysis skills with some real sighting data from the US Navy. FINAL Right Whale Migration Update: May 9, 2001 The whales are headed northward. That's the news from Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary. The Gulf of Maine and waters off the shores of Canada will host them until the fall when most will head south to the protected waters of the Silver Bank. What a year to celebrate! Find out about the new Stellwagen program, "See A Spout, Watch Out." And, new law enforcement patrols will provide more "cops on the beat" to enforce Sanctuary regulations this summer. A big THANK YOU to all our participants; we hope you will keep on learning about these magnificent endangered animals. Copyright 2001 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form