North Atlantic right whale population to increase slightly in 2024

The number of long-endangered North Atlantic right whales could see a “modest” increase in numbers in 2024, according to a newly released estimate from the New England Aquarium.

The estimated population is 384 more than the 2023 estimate, which has been revised to 376.

The center has also reported a sharp decline in entanglements and ship collisions so far this year – the leading cause of injury and death for right whales.

The eight-whale increase last year is great news, says Philip Hamilton, a senior scientist at the aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life in Boston, because the population had been in decline for nearly a decade.

But this does not mean that the species has recovered.

“Often the first thing I’m asked is, ‘So are we good? Are we out of the woods?’ And the answer is no, but it’s good to have some good news,” Hamilton said.

The United States has considered the North Atlantic right whale endangered since 1970.

Looking back, Hamilton said, right whales responded to a major change in habitat in the 2010s, with many whales changing patterns and Head to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in late spring. This increased the mortality rate of whales.

The whales appear to be adjusting to the new “oceanographic regime,” Hamilton said, but things can change very quickly and it’s hard to say whether the increase will continue.

“If they move to another habitat, like they’re suddenly feeding in the shipping lanes, at the entrance to New York Harbor, we could lose a lot of whales in a short period of time, as happened in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 2017 and 2019,” Hamilton said.

“Barring that kind of drama, I hope and expect another modest increase next year.”

Those two years saw an unprecedented number of right whale deaths. were in 2017 12 deaths in the Gulf of St. Lawrence – From multiple violent attacks or rope entanglement. In 2019, Nine deaths occurred in and around the bay.

The deaths led to government regulations on vessel speed limits and fishing to be dynamically closed in some areas when whales were sighted.

Far fewer deaths, injuries in 2025

Along with population projections for 2024, the center also released information about 2025 entanglements and ship strikes.

While population projections take longer, as the aquarium needs to process and confirm data received from the entire Eastern Seaboard, injuries are tracked in real time, so it is easier to provide those numbers so far for 2025.

In 2024, the center reported five right whale deaths, 16 entanglements, and eight ship strikes.

In comparison, so far in 2025, scientists have recorded one new entangled injury and one vessel strike.

There are some whales that were logged as entangled in 2024 that are still entangled, with no success in freeing them. A whale trapped in 2024 became free this year.

“There have been no known deaths,” Hamilton said. “We know we only see a third of the mortality, so that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been a mortality, but again, we’ll take good news where we can, even though we know it’s not the whole picture.”

Additionally, Hamilton said the breeding pool is slowly increasing. The projected number of reproductive women in 2024 is 72, up from 70 last year.

There have been 11 births so far in 2025S. While most mother-calf pairs are seen in the waters off the Southeastern U.S., the season two new moms were spotted with their calves in unexpected places.

Accordion was seen with her calf in New York in February, and Monarch was seen with her calf in Cape Cod Bay in April.

Hamilton said there are still some females that have reached breeding age but have not yet given birth to their first calf.

“We have some females that have never given birth that we know of, but… basically, we have a bunch of females that are waiting to get into the breeding pool. I’m hopeful that they will do that soon.”