Posts by Regina Asmutis-silvia
Vessel Strike Killed Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whale
A male North Atlantic right whale, 20 years old and 43 feet long, washed up dead in Virginia Beach, VA on 2/12/23. Photo by Center for Biological Diversity. Image is available for media use. For Immediate Release, February 15, 2023 VIRGINIA BEACH, VA — A North Atlantic right whale that washed up dead onto the…
Read MoreBiden Administration Sinks Emergency Petition to Shield Right Whale Moms, Calves From Vessel Strikes
Image: Peter Flood For Immediate Release, January 20, 2023 WASHINGTON— The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) today denied an emergency petition that sought to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from being struck and killed by vessels in their calving grounds off the coast of the southeast United States. The species is down to…
Read MoreWDC Fights Back as Maine Delegation Strips Protections for Endangered Whales
Image credit: Peter Flood UPDATE: On December 29th, 2022, President Biden signed the omnibus appropriations bill. As a result of public opposition, the final language was modified and shortened the delay from ten years to six years. It also included similar language used in the proposed Right Whale Co-Existence Act of 2022 to provide grant…
Read MoreEmergency Petition Seeks to Shield Right Whale Moms, Calves From Vessel Strikes
For Immediate Release, November 1, 2022 WASHINGTON—Conservation groups filed an emergency rulemaking petition with the National Marine Fisheries Service today to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from being struck and killed by vessels in their calving grounds off the coast of the southeast United States. The requested rule mirrors a National Marine Fisheries…
Read MoreBreaking News Critically Endangered Right Whale Who Gave Birth Despite Chronic Entanglement Spotted Off Cape Cod
Breaking news! On an early morning survey east of Cape Cod on April 23rd, researchers from the Center for Coastal Studies located a North Atlantic right whale named Snow Cone and her calf, who is the first right whale known to give birth while having a chronic entanglement in fishing gear. She continues to defy…
Read MoreCongressional Leaders Introduce Bill to Save the North Atlantic Right Whale
Washington (February 16, 2022) – Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) today introduced the “Right Whale Coexistence Act,” formerly known as the SAVE right whales act. This important legislation aims to support the recovery of the North Atlantic right whale, a critically…
Read MoreNever Say Never! Critically Endangered Right Whale Gives Birth Despite Chronic Entanglement
When it comes to critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, they always find a way to remind us to never say never…. Enter Snow Cone. Snow Cone is an adult female who was first documented in March 2021 with entangling rope on the top of her head. At that time, the trained and permitted disentanglement…
Read MoreNew population estimate deal another blow to critically endangered North Atlantic right whales
A new population estimate released by the New England Aquarium indicates the population of North Atlantic right whale declined by another 8% between 2019 and 2020 with only 336 individuals estimated to remain. The species is sometimes referred to as the “urban whale” given its remaining habitat lies along the busy eastern seaboards of the…
Read MoreDoes social and racial justice have a place in saving whales?
The short answer is YES. The planet needs whales and whales need us, ALL of us, not just some of us. Whales have a very busy job as the ocean’s gardeners, bringing nutrients to a floating forest which gives us half our oxygen, sequesters carbon, and supports fish stocks. We need them. Saving whales is…
Read MoreHumpback whale “swallows” a diver? Not exactly.
The recent story of a humpback whale “swallowing a diver” off Cape Cod has made global news. We are so happy that the diver is OK but we can’t quite “swallow” some of the misleading headlines. We are your resident whale nerds, here to clear some things up. For any media inquiries, please give us…
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