They used to roam the Atlantic in the hundreds of thousands but the number of North Atlantic right whales now stands at 300. Their migratory patterns are as mysterious to researchers as their existence is fragile, but funding for a new plan announced by the Canadian government may yet save the species from extinction.
Whale species face threats the world over but few more so than the North Atlantic right whale.
The North Atlantic right whale is the most endangered large whale in the world. After being hunted to the brink of extinction in the early 20th century, this marine mammal has been internationally protected since 1935. But the right whale has succumbed to other 20th century threats, namely collisions with ships, entanglement in fishing gear, pollution and, most recently, a burgeoning whale watching tourism industry. The plan is made up of several projects designed to address these threats to the right whale. In one project, researchers at Dalhousie University in Halifax are deploying a network of underwater microphones to develop a sonar technique by which ships can avoid collisions with right whales in the Bay of Fundy.