Study shows endangered right whales feed near surface at night, raising ship-strike risk
Research reveals that North Atlantic right whales move their nighttime feeding to surface waters, putting them in the same depth range as large vessels.
Scientists from Dalhousie University, working with Ocean Alliance, attached video-enabled tags to 23 North Atlantic right whales that congregate each summer in the Shediac Valley of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The devices captured footage and motion data that allowed researchers to train a machine-learning model to identify nighttime surface feeding, a behavior not previously documented. Results indicate that at night the whales feed at depths comparable to the propeller wash of large vessels, increasing the likelihood of fatal strikes.
Collisions and gear entanglements remain the leading causes of mortality for the roughly 384-strong population. Canadian authorities, including Transport Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, cite the study to refine speed limits, exclusion zones, and acoustic monitoring aimed at protecting the species.
Why it matters
The discovery shows a new collision risk for a critically endangered whale, informing better protection measures.
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