Right Whale Research News - New England Aquarium

On Wednesday, December 18, the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center will be closed until 12:00 p.m. The first sea lion presentation will be at 12:00 p.m.

Right Whale Research News is a biannual newsletter of the Anderson Cabot Center’s Right Whale Research Team.

Produced specifically for Right Whale Sponsorship Program, this newsletter provides in-depth stories about the latest field efforts, updates on sponsored whales, the status of the population, and efforts to protect them from human activities.

To stay on top of the latest right whale research news, sponsor a right whale or subscribe today!

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By sponsoring a right whale, you are helping our efforts to monitor their population status, habitat use, calving rates, and migration patterns and our work to support effective management initiatives to save this critically endangered population.

Aphrodite (female, born 1987)

A mother and grandmother, Aphrodite is named after the goddess of love because her callosity pattern is sometimes heart-shaped.

Manta (male, born 1985)

Named for his upturned flukes, which resemble a swimming manta ray, Manta is an active participant in surface active groups.

Calvin (female, born 1992)

Orphaned at only 8 months, this mother was named for the spunky character in the "Calvin and Hobbes" comic strip.

Gemini (male, first seen 1979)

One of our oldest whales, Gemini has fathered at least three calves in the population. He’s named for twin scars on his back.

Shackleton (male, born 1994)

Named for the intrepid Antarctic explorer after a week-long adventure in the Delaware River as a yearling.

Resolution (male, born 2005)

Born off the coast of Florida on New Year’s Day, his was the first right whale birth ever observed by researchers.

Boomerang (female, born 1995)

Her first calf was born in 2006 and she has had three more calves since then. She is named for the boomerang-shaped scar on her tail.

Right Whale Research News Spring 2023 Issue

Past Issues

Support of Right Whale Research

With a population of fewer than 350 individual whales, our researchers work tirelessly to study and protect this endangered species. Support these conservation efforts by sponsoring a right whale today.

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See caption below — Florencia and NEAq right whale scientist Kelsey Howe photograph a humpback whale off the coast of Lubec, Maine. Photo: Marianna Hagbloom

North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog

See more images of our sponsorship whales and learn about their history, along with that of more than 700 individual right whales, in our directory dating back almost 90 years.

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Right Whale Research News & Right Whale Sponsorship