Save The
North Atlantic Right Whales!

Join us in spreading awareness to protect the North Atlantic Right Whale from boating incidents and ensure their survival.

At Flukes Up, we are a group of dedicated Girl Scout Cadettes educating people about the North Atlantic right whale and the importance of protecting their habitats as our Silver Project.

How You Can Help

About the North Atlantic Right Whale

About the North Atlantic Right Whale

A large baleen whale that feeds on copepods
White patches (callosities) on head
No dorsal fin or throat grooves
Smooth edges on tail flukes
Paddle shaped black flippers
Black robust body

South East Coast Boating Laws Concerning North Atlantic Right Whales

If there is a North Atlantic right whale (or any whale) in the area:

Stay 500 yards away (This is a Federal Law)
Download the Whale Alert app (Helps with tracking whales)
Report your Sighting to:
- 888-97-WHALE (888-979-4253)
- US Cost Guard Channel 16

November 15 through April 15th North Florida Coast, St. Augustine area, to South Georgia, just north of Brunswick, has a Seasonal Management Area. All sea-faring vessels longer than 65 feet are required to maintain a speed of 10 knots or less in areas where North Atlantic right whales are seen often.

Critical habitat area is South Carolina to Jupiter Inlet, Florida. To learn more, see NOAA article linked here: Critical Habitat.

NARW have been spotted as far south as Miami and even into the Gulf of Mexico.

Boater & Water Safety Around Whales

Right whales migrate year round from the gulf of Saint Lawrence in Canada all the way down to Florida. In summer/fall they spend their time in New England and Canada, then in the winter/spring they spend their time in Southern New England. Southern New England is a feeding ground spot for the right whales. Then they make the long trip down to the Southeast United States in the fall/winter. This is where they have their calving grounds which is where they have babies. Then they go back up and do it all over again. Right whales migrate over 1,000 miles every year.

Migration Patterns

When sailing or enjoying your favorite water craft you need to be careful about not changing a whale's path. If you see a whale in your path move your vessel to become parallel with the whale's course.
If there are other vessels sailing around whales you should use a radio to tell those vessels to be careful around the area due to the whale activity.
Keep your distance from the whales because you could hurt them by getting to close or disrupt the natural behavior of the whales.
When using sails it can be hard to decrease speed to make sure to take down your sails and use your auxiliary motor and proceed carefully.
Reporting entangled, injured, or dead whales can insure your safety and their’s.
Posting a lookout in the front of the vessel can help spot North Atlantic right whales easier, leading to less chance of a boat collision.

Credit: Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Image taken under NOAA Research Permit 15488.

Two North Atlantic right whales, 2018. NMFS photo/Tim Cole.

Whale Facts

There are three right whale species in the world. The North Pacific right whale is found on the east and west coast of the Pacific. The Southern right whales have a population exceeding thousands. The North Atlantic right whale is one the most endangered whales, with approximately 360 whales left. Right whales get their name because they were the “right” whale to hunt, thankfully, whaling is no longer a threat. Today's threats are entanglement, vessel strikes, availability of prey, ocean noise, and small population size.

Appearance

North Atlantic right whales are very large whales, growing up to 140,000 pounds and up to 52 feet in length. These whales have large black bodies with irregularly shaped patches on their bellies. Their pectoral flippers are short and have a paddle-like shape to them. Their heads are covered with white patches of skin called callosities which are used to identify them.

Diet

The North Atlantic right whale is a baleen whale, eating mainly tiny crustaceans. You may see them swimming along the surface with their rostrums out of the water to feed on large patches of plankton. Right whales feed at the surface of the water where they filter out tiny organisms from water through their baleen.

Behavior

When viewing these whales, you may see them in a group, or a pod. They can be seen socializing with one another at the surface. You can also see these large whales breach out of the water, crashing on the surface with a huge splash, this behavior can mean a lot of things, such as communication and play.