Why don't researchers use radio telemetry tracking for right whales. Actually, researchers do use radio tags in some studies of right whales. Usually these tags are attached to the trailing lines or entangling fishing gear. But to follow minute by minute, hour by hour movements, the radio tag has proved to be most helpful. The curvature of the earth also plays a role.
Boats needs to stay within a few miles and planes can receive signals some ten times farther.
All tags, radio or satellite, must be attached to the whale somehow. But as you may know from toys that use suction cups to stick on walls, these devices only work for a short period of time. Eventually, they will drop off. I accompanied scientist David Wiley from the International Wildlife Coalition on one right whale research cruise where the tag stayed on for some seven hours. Sometimes they stay on for twice that length of time, sometimes they come off in half the time.