Couple in Newfoundland captures rare North Atlantic right whale near Blackhead Cove

On Sept. 1, Heather MacAulay and her husband Chris Murphy observed an atypical large marine creature with a damaged vertical tail in the waters of Blackhead Cove, Conception Bay North. Their video helped Alex Cole of the Canadian Wildlife Federation and the Atlantic Right Whale Project identify the animal as a North Atlantic right whale, specifically the mother of calf Checkmark 3705, which was first documented with its calf off Florida last year.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans confirmed the identification and added that the same whale had been sighted earlier in Massachusetts. While right whale encounters are occasional along Newfoundland’s east coast, the species generally frequents the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. Researchers stress that reporting such sightings aids conservation efforts, especially as the population remains critically low, with about 384 individuals estimated. Authorities said the recent sighting does not trigger a fishing ban but urged fishers to operate cautiously.