Naevus, Wart's calf born in 1990, was seen with a new born calf, less than three days old, on December 20 off Sapelo Island, Georgia. This is the fifth calf of Naevus, the other calves born in 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011. Her calving interval is very regular and the minimum for right whale females, every three years. The pregnancy is a year, nursing is a year and there is a year to recover the weight lost during the nursing period which can be an incredible 10 tons. Shorter calving intervals only occur when a calf is lost shortly after birth and the intensive nursing period does not occur.
A news article about the birth can be found in the Savannah Morning News: http://savannahnow.com/news/2013-12-24/seasons-first-whale-calf-sighted-sapelo-island#.UrxAomx3u70. Two photos of mom and calf are also included: http://savannahnow.com/news/2013-12-24/seasons-first-whale-calf-sighted-sapelo-island# and http://savannahnow.com/news/2013-12-24/seasons-first-whale-calf-sighted-sapelo-island#.
This brings Wart's family to seven calves, twelve grand-calves and four great grand-calves, with all generations still reproducing. Wart had her seventh calf this past season.
Fingers crossed that more calves are to come.
Showing posts with label Naevus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Naevus. Show all posts
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Monday, December 31, 2012
Wart's and Kleenex's Families Grow
The 2013 right whale calving season is only a month old and already twelve calves have been seen and two of our adoptive families have grown.
Kleenex has one of the largest right whale families and her daughter, #2042, had her first calf in December. This is Kleenex's eight grand-calf and the fourth of five daughters to have calves. Kleenex has had eight calves with the earliest in 1977 (unknown sex and never catalogued), followed by two male calves and five female calves. #2042 has yet to be named and is one of the older new mothers, born in 1990. The age a female has her first calf varies greatly, from as young as five to over twenty, but the average is around ten years of age.
Wart's family has grown by two so far this calving season. Her daughter, Black Heart #3540, born in 2005, had her first calf, Wart's tenth grand-calf. Wart's grand-calf, Millipede #3520, born the same year as Black Heart, and the daughter of Wart's calf, Naevus, #2040, born in 1990, also had her first calf in December, Wart's fourth great-grand-calf.
It is not unusual to have several generations of right whale females with calves in the same year. In fact, #1612 and her daughter #2912 both have had calves this December. Researchers are still hoping that perhaps some of the females that were seen in the Gulf of Maine a year ago, a suggested mating area for right whales, will be seen with calves this year.
Kleenex has one of the largest right whale families and her daughter, #2042, had her first calf in December. This is Kleenex's eight grand-calf and the fourth of five daughters to have calves. Kleenex has had eight calves with the earliest in 1977 (unknown sex and never catalogued), followed by two male calves and five female calves. #2042 has yet to be named and is one of the older new mothers, born in 1990. The age a female has her first calf varies greatly, from as young as five to over twenty, but the average is around ten years of age.
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| Right whale diving in the Bay of Fundy. |
It is not unusual to have several generations of right whale females with calves in the same year. In fact, #1612 and her daughter #2912 both have had calves this December. Researchers are still hoping that perhaps some of the females that were seen in the Gulf of Maine a year ago, a suggested mating area for right whales, will be seen with calves this year.
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| Right whale diving amongst great and sooty shearwaters in the Bay of Fundy. |
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