NEW RIGHT WHALE CALF SEEN OFF VIRGINIA!

Posted on June 3, 2024

We are happy to share some exciting news! On Saturday 01 June 2024 during one of our offshore surveys 60 miles southeast of Virginia Beach, we encountered North Atlantic right whale Pico (Catalog #3270) and her calf! Pico was last seen in December 2023 off North Carolina by the CMARI aerial survey team without a calf. Pico is at least 22 years old, and this is her third calf. In January 2009, she was sighted in the Eastern Atlantic in the Azores and was subsequently named for Pico Island in the Azores because her callosity pattern closely resembles the shape of that island.

Pico's calf offshore of Virginia - June 1, 2024.

Pico and her calf are among the more than 20 individual North Atlantic right whales - along with many other humpbacks, fins, and sei whales - our team has observed off the coast of Virginia since 22 May 2024. We are still sorting through heaps of photos and data and will post a follow-up in the coming weeks.

Checkout more updates on the Mid-Atlantic Whale Monitoring FB page and Mid-Atlantic Baleen Whale project profile.