By Lauri deGaris
New moon blessings to right whale #1970 – Palmetto and her newborn calf. Palmetto was spotted with her calf on December 9 about five nautical miles off the coast of South Carolina, near St. Helena Island. Palmetto is at least 35 years old. Her last calf was born in 2020.
This is Palmetto’s sixth known calf. Two of her previous calves are seen regularly. However, the other three were never seen outside the calving grounds after birth and therefore not recorded in the catalog. These three calves are presumed dead. Palmetto has experienced three entanglements in her life and her living calves have been involved in two entanglements.
Palmetto is a frequent visitor in South Carolina; that is how she got her name. Palmetto also has a callosity pattern which looks like a palm tree on the top of her head. The sabal palmetto was placed on the flag of South Carolina in 1775. The flag has a blue background with a white crescent in the upper corner and a sabal palm tree in the center.
During the American Revolution, white crescent badges adorned the cap of patriot guards at Ft. Moultrie in Charleston Harbor. And, Ft. Moultrie was protected by sabal palmetto logs that caused British cannonballs to bounce off. Consequently, the sabal palmetto was adopted by South Carolinians as their chief state symbol. I sure hope Palmetto the right whale and her newborn calf will be guarded with the vigor and spirit of the patriots who protected Ft. Moultrie in Charleston Harbor.
According to New England Aquarium researchers at the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, unique identifying features are critical to the identification of each whale. It can take months for newborn whales to develop these unique features. Other methods employed to identify each whale include genetic sampling. However, it is not always possible to obtain samples for analysis. Hopefully, a DNA sample of Palmetto’s newest calf will be obtained and we can follow this bundle of joy for years to come. Here is a photo of Palmetto and her calf.
Over the years, many mother and calf pairs have been sighted just off the beaches of Amelia Island. One quick and easy way to see if North Atlantic right whales are near our shores is to use the interactive map found at Whalemap. This map was designed to communicate whale survey results for effective management practices. Data collected from acoustic buoys, aerial surveillance, and boat observations are uploaded daily and made public for all to use. Research teams from the United States and Canada collaborate, sharing data and strategies to protect the estimated 356 remaining North Atlantic right whales.
If you are lucky enough to spot a whale call 877-WHALE-HELP (877-942-5343) or call the U.S. Coast Guard on VHF Ch. 16. Please have the following information ready: location of whale(s); city, lat/long, nearby landmark; number of whales; direction traveling; are dolphins and birds present; your name and a call back number. Remember to remain at least 500 yards from right whales.
Thanks, Lauri, for this great news. Entanglements are now the number one leading cause of death for the North Atlantic Right Whale. There are alternatives, such as ropeless traps, but entrenched fishing traditions and lack of governmental interventions stop us from implementing them. Our elected leaders would be more inclined to help solve the problem if they know how we feel about it.
Woohoo! Thanks for the good news, Lauri.