Scientists discover unknown baby right whale off Canada
Researchers in Canada captured images of an unidentified baby North Atlantic right whale off Anticosti Island in Quebec in September, according to reporting by The Associated Press carried by multiple outlets. Scientists with the New England Aquarium in Boston said after analyzing photos and data about right whales, they determined it was a calf likely born months ago that went unseen during winter surveys for the giant animals.
The whale was seen with its mother, a 38-year-old whale known to researchers as Silt, scientists said. Right whales give birth off the southeastern U.S. in winter before venturing north to New England and Canada to feed.
The whales are extensively cataloged with photography by researchers because they are so rare. Amy Warren, a scientist at the New England Aquarium's Anderson Cabot Center, said the discovery was a welcome surprise.
"Silt was briefly seen in the southeastern U.S. calving grounds in February 2026, so it's possible she had the calf there but snuck away before they were documented together. This is an exciting discovery for us so late in the year," Warren said.
The baby whale sighted off Quebec was spotted by researchers with Mingan Island Cetacean Study, a nonprofit research organization in the province's coastal Côte-Nord region. The whale wasn't seen by researchers despite boat-based and aerial surveys along the U.S. East Coast all spring and summer, the New England Aquarium said.
Richard Sears, founder and director of Mingan Island Cetacean Study, said scientists are celebrating the animal's addition to a successful breeding season for the rare whales.
"It just goes to show you how big the ocean is, and how those animals can get lost out there," he said.
