Notes from the Artist, John Vilhauer: Like Luke Skywalker, I grew up on a farm in a galaxy far, far away, always feeling that the universe had something bigger planned for me. Though college yielded degrees in Graphic Design and Illustration, not a Jedi apprenticeship, I was ready to save the world with good design. Now the ESPP has given me the opportunity to help save North Atlantic Right Whales, and I couldn't be more excited!
More About NARWC:
The North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium consists of a number of both non-governmental and governmental organizations and individuals in the United States and Canada who work to study and conserve North Atlantic Right Whales. NARWC seeks to eliminate human-caused mortality to right whales in critical habitats and migration corridors, protect right whale habitats, and assess factors that reduce reproductive success of right whales.
More About NARWC:
The North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium consists of a number of both non-governmental and governmental organizations and individuals in the United States and Canada who work to study and conserve North Atlantic Right Whales. NARWC seeks to eliminate human-caused mortality to right whales in critical habitats and migration corridors, protect right whale habitats, and assess factors that reduce reproductive success of right whales.
ABOUT THE NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE
At 55 feet long and weighing in at 139,700 pounds the North Atlantic right whale would seem hard to miss. However, as mere humans we can only hope for a fleeting glimpse of them. The North Atlantic right whale spends 80 percents of it’s time below the surface of the ocean, at depths as deep as 800 feet.
In fact, much of the whale’s life remains a mystery. They migrate thousands of miles each year although their winter grounds are unknown to us. Scientists study the whale by listening to hydrophones, attaching data tags to whales, recording whale dive times, and observing the behaviors displayed when the whales do surface. Scientists also photograph the whales which can be identified by markings, scars, and mainly the unique pattern of callosities, or roughened patches of skin, on their heads. Interestingly, these patches appear in many of the places we humans have hair- along the chin, above the eyes, and on the top of the head. The callosities are the same color as the whale’s skin but appear white due to the tiny crustaceans living on them.
The North Atlantic Right Whale Photo-Identification Catalog includes over 500,000 photographs dating back to 1935. Right whale #1045 is one of the oldest whales in the catalog. She was first photographed in 1935 while a sports fisherman hunted and killed her calf who was the last North Atlantic right whale legally hunted. The story of the 6 hour struggle and #1045’s attempts to rescue her calf were published as “A Fish Story in Pictures" in an outdoor sports magazine. #1045 has been photographed 5 times since. The last sighting was in 1995 and she was severely wounded, possibly from a ship strike. She has not been seen since.
Historically, right whales were found in both the western and eastern North Atlantic. Extensively hunted until the mid to late 1800s, the remnant population is now mostly confined to the eastern seaboard of North America.
Ship strikes – accidental collisions with large ships can injure or kill North Atlantic right whales. The NARWC has worked to relocate major shipping lanes away from important right whale feeding areas. Whales can also become entangled in commercial fishing gear with fatal results. More than 79 percent of the right whale population display visible scars from past entanglements, and they are the lucky ones as entanglement is the the 2nd highest cause of death among North Atlantic right whale.
On average only 11 calves are born per year, this is only 1/3 of the expected birth rate and less than the present annual death rate. The exact reason for this remains unknown although an unhealthy eco-system and increasing negative pressures from human activities is the most likely cause.
At 55 feet long and weighing in at 139,700 pounds the North Atlantic right whale would seem hard to miss. However, as mere humans we can only hope for a fleeting glimpse of them. The North Atlantic right whale spends 80 percents of it’s time below the surface of the ocean, at depths as deep as 800 feet.
In fact, much of the whale’s life remains a mystery. They migrate thousands of miles each year although their winter grounds are unknown to us. Scientists study the whale by listening to hydrophones, attaching data tags to whales, recording whale dive times, and observing the behaviors displayed when the whales do surface. Scientists also photograph the whales which can be identified by markings, scars, and mainly the unique pattern of callosities, or roughened patches of skin, on their heads. Interestingly, these patches appear in many of the places we humans have hair- along the chin, above the eyes, and on the top of the head. The callosities are the same color as the whale’s skin but appear white due to the tiny crustaceans living on them.
The North Atlantic Right Whale Photo-Identification Catalog includes over 500,000 photographs dating back to 1935. Right whale #1045 is one of the oldest whales in the catalog. She was first photographed in 1935 while a sports fisherman hunted and killed her calf who was the last North Atlantic right whale legally hunted. The story of the 6 hour struggle and #1045’s attempts to rescue her calf were published as “A Fish Story in Pictures" in an outdoor sports magazine. #1045 has been photographed 5 times since. The last sighting was in 1995 and she was severely wounded, possibly from a ship strike. She has not been seen since.
Historically, right whales were found in both the western and eastern North Atlantic. Extensively hunted until the mid to late 1800s, the remnant population is now mostly confined to the eastern seaboard of North America.
Ship strikes – accidental collisions with large ships can injure or kill North Atlantic right whales. The NARWC has worked to relocate major shipping lanes away from important right whale feeding areas. Whales can also become entangled in commercial fishing gear with fatal results. More than 79 percent of the right whale population display visible scars from past entanglements, and they are the lucky ones as entanglement is the the 2nd highest cause of death among North Atlantic right whale.
On average only 11 calves are born per year, this is only 1/3 of the expected birth rate and less than the present annual death rate. The exact reason for this remains unknown although an unhealthy eco-system and increasing negative pressures from human activities is the most likely cause.
