Right whale migration data. Credit: Ocean Portal. Adapted from E. Paul Oberlander, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Graphics

Whale Meets Ship

After giving birth near Florida, right whales migrate north to Nova Scotia, where they feed and nurse their calves. Unfortunately, they must attempt to dodge the heavily trafficked waters as they make their way north. Often times, ships either don’t see the whales or are traveling too fast to avoid a collision.

Conservation Area

In Canada’s Bay of Fundy, where the whales congregate to feast on zooplankton, international shipping lanes used to run right through the Grand Manan Basin – an area of high right whale density.

Boundary of North Atlantic right whale SARA Critical Habitat for Grand Manan Basin. Image source: DFO