Happy Whale Humpback Happenings
June 22, 2026
A few interesting matches have come out of our Mid-Atlantic Humpback Whale Catalog efforts and partnership with Happy Whale!
A Macrocephalus Mother's Day Tradition
May 27, 2026
HDR-lead team encountered a group of mainly female sperm whales with calves on Mother's Day for the 2nd year in a row, and successfully deployed a tag from a drone. We believe it's the first CATS tag deployed on a sperm whale via drone.
Right whale calf sighted off Virginia!
December 20, 2024
On December 18, 2024, during a survey off Virginia Beach, researchers from HDR Inc. and NAVFAC LANT observed North Atlantic right whale #4540 with her first known calf. This sighting is notable as it's the earliest recorded instance of a newborn right whale calf in Virginia waters, suggesting a possible shift in calving locations northward from the typical areas off Florida and Georgia.
Whales of Summer
June 10, 2024
In the mid-Atlantic, baleen whale sightings typically occur during the colder months, with peak activity in December and January. Sightings of humpback and right whales usually decrease by late March through April. While occasional baleen whale sightings, particularly of fin whales, happen during warmer months, large groups are uncommon as summer approaches. Pelagic surveys during this time often focus on odontocetes like sperm whales and beaked whales.
New Right Whale Calf Seen Off Virginia!
June 3, 2024
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!
Coming full circle – right whale mom returns with calf
March 15, 2023
Previously CATS tagged Right whale "Smoke" is sighted again in VA with a calf.
Right Whale Party in the Mid-Atlantic
February 4, 2023
A Surface Active Group of North Atlantic right whales off the coast of Virginia.
An Urban Whale
February 3, 2023
A juvenile North Atlantic right whale finds itself in a busy area.
Right whales are on the move!
November 23, 2022
Two female right whales were sighted off Virginia during their southbound migration.
Cuvier's from Cape to Canyon
September 16, 2022
Photo ID match of a Goose-beaked whale between Cape Hatteras and Virginia Beach after two years.
NARW tagged off VA Beach!
March 2, 2022
A yearling right whale was tagged off Virginia.
Pinniped season has begun in SE Virginia
October 27, 2021
Camera traps have been installed to track seals in Virginia.
Blue whale tagged off the coast of Virginia
April 26, 2021
Details on the first blue whale tagged in the region.
Tracking an endangered North Atlantic right whale
March 15, 2021
A yearling right whale was tagged off the coast of VA and tracked for 12 days.
Drone footage of a blue whale off the coast of Virginia!
March 14, 2021
Blue whale footage from Virginia
Drone footage of humpback whale bubble-net feeding off the coast of Virginia
February 18, 2021
Humpback whale "Tobin" bubblenet feeding off VA.
Fantastic video of an encounter with North Atlantic right whales off the coast of Virginia Beach
January 27, 2021
Footage of three right whales off Virginia.
Entangled humpback whale
January 8, 2021
Our team assisted with the disentanglement efforts of a young humpback whale.
Fin and blue whale feeding aggregation observed in Norfolk Canyon study area
March 26, 2019
Baleen whale feeding assemblage offshore of Virginia.
One whale tagged twice.
March 8, 2019
D-tag and limpet tag on a humpback whale.
Repeat tagging customers to humpback monitoring project
January 30, 2018
Some interesting notes on site fidelity in Humpack whales.
Sperm whales tagged off Virginia Beach
August 25, 2017
Several groups of sperm whales were sighted offshore of VA.
"Purple Heart" sea turtle released back into the ocean
June 12, 2017
Rescued sea turtle is tagged and released by a retired Marine.
Tagging Atlantic Humpbacks
January 8, 2016
Year two of our Chesapeake Bay humpback whale project has begun!
Turtle Tagging Season Has Begun!
May 18, 2015
Tagging loggerhead and Kemp's ridley sea turtles off Virginia.
Humpbacks Have Arrived!
December 30, 2014
It's winter in Virginia and that means whales!
White “Leucistic” Bottlenose Dolphin Seen on Marine Mammal Survey
October 30, 2014
Leucism, like albinism, is a genetic condition that results in a lack of pigmentation in the skin.
Sea Turtle Rehabilitation and Release
November 26, 2013
Tagging rescued sea turtles.
Spinnaker sighted off Virginia Beach
September 25, 2013
A well known whale makes a visit.
Atlantic sea turtle tagging project is underway!
July 17, 2013
The start of a new turtle project.
Current
Passive Acoustic Monitoring for Mid-Atlantic Baleen Whales
Project Objectives
Monitor large whale occurrence in the Mid-Atlantic
Complete
Occurrence, Distribution, and Density of Marine Mammals Near Naval Station Norfolk and Virginia Beach
Project Objectives
Assess occurrence, seasonality, and abundance of Tursiops in the coastal waters of Hampton Roads military installationsNo related documents to display
