Right Whales' Lifespan Drops to 22 Years; Only 370 Remain

[{"selector":"#anim-9a024cf3-bbaa-4ddd-8c36-172b08df288c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-685ef941-69c2-4ce6-9dc7-ce69be026191","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.50632%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-548d1e09-38cb-4407-99b3-f2bbfb67cc6f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":800,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d4e5758e-3479-4bbb-b890-bdf5531f5b1c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-123.30098%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":800,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Right Whales' Lifespan Drops to 22 Years; Only 370 Remain Govind Tekale

North Atlantic right whales should live well beyond 100 years, but their average lifespan has dropped dramatically to just 22 years.

[{"selector":"#anim-550e4aaa-1292-4fb5-89c6-84196d445431","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c6d9fe15-1e2d-4751-8167-c410cbee398f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-89c2d204-6612-4bb2-845a-5c92ebc1f29c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8c9fefae-dab6-4cb6-a062-1d879e266216","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dc1343be-8e16-44e4-80eb-6b50b4330abe","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: National Marine Sanctuaries (PDM 1.0)

The research revealed that while closely related Southern right whales typically live to 74 years, with some reaching 130 years, their North Atlantic cousins are dying decades earlier due to human activities.

[{"selector":"#anim-72b6167c-3144-455d-a635-f43f087ecd7c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-249a2a4f-520f-4569-a73f-d56f544e6bcb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 143.30811%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6988e13e-7c8d-4068-98ca-714cb9f26790","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-79402605-152f-4510-9ec5-108d23d6cb76","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-98f93216-81a0-4a42-9216-6338dc5bef00","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: gailhampshire (CC BY 2.0)

The dramatic lifespan reduction stems from three main threats: ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, and climate change.

[{"selector":"#anim-bcd2ef1a-ed7f-4206-8a76-69ab55830d7d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-029e35fe-5c91-4e22-a03a-36ede4906919","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6461b94f-4ff6-4d4c-8286-e982b0fa03ea","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6730a836-51c8-409c-b899-0e3d9727eae5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6a746467-1064-4aa5-856d-5537ea74e27b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source : U3196787 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The last North Atlantic right whale that likely made it to natural age would have been sometime between 1700 and 1800, which was at the height of commercial whaling.

[{"selector":"#anim-e47544e9-67b8-45a1-8f24-f732f54217b5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4ab05bfb-24f6-43f1-b29f-2526e670e2ec","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 162.72400%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a353574d-389a-4db5-b4f7-139aae6486d6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4a49e531-18ea-410a-a2f5-e501e3d004df","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-98eb7d43-aadb-456e-82ed-409319d1db2d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Robdownunder (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

These whales do much more than just swim in our oceans. They keep the waters healthy in an amazing way - through their waste, which feeds tiny sea creatures that the fish eat," she said.

[{"selector":"#anim-12a7b70d-da00-4111-b716-45876b62a7c5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f64f28a4-d0e6-4529-b13e-f4de7f3f3bec","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ec68a961-2772-45c1-9ce2-f15a1462ee34","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-08278c13-3bb2-415b-92d1-009804be0b5e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-60695ba2-7413-40cf-9315-c4f4b40cd505","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Jon Mountjoy (CC BY 2.0)

All of these efforts to save these whales for the last 30 years haven't worked well enough. According to scientists, we must do even more.

[{"selector":"#anim-3f7eb4a6-dfe7-48bb-ad32-8f621f73c0a9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-37feddcc-ccf6-4c28-ad3c-00055e198fbd","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 162.72400%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-82b4d3bc-2885-43a7-a1d0-12ea91e9d9b9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d986b3c7-ec2e-4742-a0e9-140d1f1b0b34","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b05ddf99-5363-4a58-9777-3881e28924da","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source - Elianne Dipp (pexels)

The U.S. government has set aside $82 million to help protect marine life.

[{"selector":"#anim-bf237534-2412-4225-be32-b97a7f06d064","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6069ebac-7d4a-4028-8912-c1e07c93cf43","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e3ddb413-81ca-492e-9733-7af243eb9a2e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5a714a37-1a52-43ab-8133-38bf42f71c12","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bb7ed42e-d8e4-4f3d-9909-0ae21b8e4691","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Brian Gratwicke (CC BY 2.0)

They will take hundreds of years to recover," Breed says. "These whales can live up to 100 years or more, but they only have one baby every 10 years or so.

[{"selector":"#anim-6805e900-082f-4436-afa7-6a845de39bc0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-42f98f41-f9b3-458b-a730-d18f36b96834","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 162.72400%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c7a9cdbf-be90-4007-93e7-010ec10898ed","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-99e79395-5318-4429-ac10-f06a13282259","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4bcb3cc0-9004-4d85-8d5e-fc0c3140a7df","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Gregory "Slobber (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

If we don't, we could lose them forever, which would hurt not just the whales, but the whole ocean ecosystem they help keep healthy.

[{"selector":"#anim-60d40353-9aad-49b2-9653-aa6e23909285","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2c18973e-43c4-48e1-9fad-02d1b39986f7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-18fa6b77-0f9d-4f9e-a42a-01b649112aee","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f22b6017-11fc-492e-b5b3-93bf7a409ec8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2d3a3a13-9c33-447a-9325-e2c49ca6af3f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Kris Mikael Krister (CC BY 3.0)

[{"selector":"#anim-6b897121-a7f4-4f54-bfd1-ea2af4aba275","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a35f599e-7288-4c17-9df2-e6923199ccb3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5f4cba05-1095-4f43-85bb-18c786cb547f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.50152%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-22de6c7b-1f59-4cf5-b759-bff298ca7226","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8fdb6b6e-3b27-47e9-9dc9-8129c99dcb5b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.55555%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Second Endangered Thresher Shark Death on UK Beach Raises Alarm Learn more