Researchers have said the number of North Atlantic right whales is growing, but they warn that continued protections are necessary for the species to recover.
“It’s always a great feeling when we can share positive news when it comes to this critically endangered species,” Heather Pettis, scientist and chair of the Kraus Marine Mammal Conservation Program at the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center, said in a release. “The slight increase in the population estimate, coupled with no detected mortalities and fewer detected injuries, leaves us cautiously optimistic about the future of North Atlantic right whales.”
According to the latest estimate from the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, there are roughly 384 of the critically endangered mammals left in the wild. The population has slowly trended upward after reaching a low in 2020, when researchers estimated a total population of just 358 individuals.
Researchers recorded 11 calf births from December 2024 through March 2025 with no mortalities.
“The whales are doing their part,” Philip Hamilton, senior scientist at the Anderson Cabot Center, said in a release. “It is up to us to do ours by continuing to mitigate human-caused mortality and injury and allow the population to grow.”
The consortium noted that there were no detected right whale mortalities in 2025, as well as far fewer injuries. Only one entanglement was recorded, and only one vessel strike was reported.
Despite the positive report, researchers warned that regulators and fishers need to continue to take action to keep whale numbers trending upward.
“We don’t want to take our foot off the gas when it comes to management and conservation efforts,” Pettis said. “Of course, we’re happy to see there were fewer injuries and deaths – especially compared to last year, when there were an alarming number of mortalities, including four reproductive females. But, with small population increases year to year, we still need strong protective measures for continued growth.”
