Calvin: A Tale of One Right Whale
By Mark J. Palmer
It’s hard to believe, but one individual right whale living in the North Atlantic Ocean has a fan club. Calling themselves “The Calvineers”, the group has followed the annual appearance of a female right whale named Calvin off New England. She is believed to be 33 years old, and the Calvineers, using photographs of whales, have identified her going back twenty years. When she was only 8 months old, her mother, named Delilah, was killed by a ship strike. Shortly after, Calvin became entangled in plastic fishing gear, but amazingly, she escaped.
But in 2022, Calvin was again spotted with severe injuries on her tail stock. Some believe the scars were cut into her by rope from lobster or crab traps, although she did not have any rope on her when spotted. She then disappeared for three years, and the Calvineers and whale scientists believed she had died and were deeply saddened.
Fortunately, in April 2025, miraculously, Calvin was spotted again, feeding with a large group of whales off Cape Cod. Previously, aerial surveys using photography would usually spot Calvin half a dozen times each year, but she disappeared completely until April of this year.
Calvin is especially critical to the right whale population, as she has given birth to four calves over the years and could do so again. Breeding females are essential to the survival of the species, especially because the total population is estimated at only 370 right whales. Females are especially vulnerable to ship strikes as they stay near the surface protecting their calves.
“Unfortunately, this season,” Cindy Lowry, Maine Campaign Coordinator, North Atlantic Right Whale, for the International Marine Mammal Project, stated, “only 11 mother/calf pairs were documented, down from 20 calves the previous season.”
A North Atlantic right whale fluke. Note the white scarring on the tail stock (peduncle), likely from plastic ropes associated with lobster and crab traps. Photo Credit: ID 8969557 Jim Cornall Dreamstime
“This makes it even more imperative,” Lowry added, “that available technologies to prevent entanglements and ship strikes are implemented now.”
There are few happy stories for the right whales of the Earth’s oceans. Traditionally, they got their name from whalers because they were the “right” whale to kill: they floated when dead, they were slow-moving, and they carried large amounts of oil-rich blubber.
More recently, the population of right whales in the North Atlantic is a bare remnant of the original numbers and has been plagued by ship strikes and entanglement in plastic fishing lines, especially the lines used to retrieve crab and lobster traps.
With a population now estimated at 370 whales, it is feared by scientists that the population may go extinct in 20 years if further steps are not taken to protect them. They are protected now by both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Additional enforcement of speed limits to slow ships down when traversing waters where right whales are feeding is needed. Entangling ropes on lobster and crab traps can be replaced with pop-up gear if fishermen use them!
Cindy Lowry concluded, “Calvin brings a message of hope to New Englanders and all whale lovers. We must do whatever we can to save Calvin and ensure the survival of right whales.”
Let’s do what we can to save Calvin and her kin.
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You can help protect right whales by contacting your elected members of Congress, urging them to make sure right whales are protected. You can also help by donating to the International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute to support our work for right whales and all cetaceans. Right whales like Calvin need your help now. Thank you for your support.
