Unrecorded North Atlantic right whale calf identified off Quebec coast

Near Anticosti Island in the Canadian province of Quebec, researchers photographed an unidentified North Atlantic right whale calf in September ua.newsua.newsua.newsOpen source ↗. As reported by ua.news with reference to Mongabay, the sighting took place in an area where the animal had previously evaded detection.

Scientists at the New England Aquarium in Boston analyzed photographic materials and cataloged tracking data for this critically endangered species. Based on this assessment, the researchers determined that the young whale had likely been born several months prior and was missed during earlier winter surveys.

This identification brings the total number of documented North Atlantic right whale calves for the latest calving season to 24. The species remains one of the rarest marine mammals on the planet, making each unrecorded calf a significant addition to current population metrics.