DERECHA RETURNS

Things change. We can’t predict. We last saw Catalog #2360, Derecha, right off the boardwalk here at Marineland, on 10 January. Bill Gough photographed her breaching (image below). The pair swam north.  

Breaching whale, off Marineland, 10 January 2022.  (Photo: Bill Gough)

Then it got quiet. On 15 January they were seen off Talbot Island, north of Jacksonville. Were they heading north? Well, no. On Sunday the 23rd, the phone rang. Julie Albert with the Marine Resources Council's Right Whale Hotline called with a sighting reported on FaceBook. At about the same time, team member Jim Sullivan reported a sighting from just N of the Flagler Pier. Jim wasn’t on duty. He and his wife were on the way to an anniversary lunch. They kept them in sight until further responders arrived. The FWC aerial team identified the mother as Derecha. and calf. On a drone flight, Sara got images of the belly-up calf, showing a spectacular white belly, and identified the gender as female (image below).  

The 2022 female calf of Derecha.  (Photo: S. Ellis)

Shortly thereafter, they were sighted from Gamble Rogers State Park. Martha Garito got photos from Highbridge (image below).

Derecha and calf off Highbridge, 23 January 2022.  (Photo: M. Garito)

The next day, Monday the 24th, the phone rang at 07:38. Lou Reinwasser, Team 5 N, called in a sighting from Grenada Park in Ormond. Sara got drone images. Derecha and calf, heading S.

Late in the day, the FWC plane reported Snow Cone and calf from Washington Oaks. Shortly thereafter, Donna McCutchan reported them from off Sea Colony. This was another surprise, as they had been last seen up by Amelia Island on Wednesday the 19th.  

So, as of yesterday, we have had two mother-calf pairs in our area > > > the two “remarkable females” described in our previous post.

We have seen repeated  down-and-up/south-and-north movements from both of these pairs. Both were last seen heading south. What does the future hold? 

TWO REMARKABLE FEMALES

 We have two remarkable females in our area this season―Derecha and Snow Cone. Both have a history and a story.  As so often happens in life, the story is bittersweet.

Derecha, Catalog #2360, had her 4th calf in the 2020 season. Of the 10 calves born that season, one, that of #2360, Derecha, was injured, apparently within days of its birth. The calf was spotted off Georgia on 8 January with injuries that were consistent with a propeller strike. The injury was judged to make it unlikely for the calf to nurse or survive.  The calf has not been seen since 15 January. But, just under two years later, Derecha was seen off Florida on 18 December 2021 with her 5th calf. She has been seen in our area several times since. 

Next, Catalog #3560, Snow Cone, early on had evidence of previous gear entanglements, as her peduncle was scraped and scarred. At the age of 15, female Catalog #3560 had her first known calf in early December 2019. The exact date and location are unknown, but the event likely took place in Georgia in the first half of the month. The pair was seen frequently during the 2019–20 season. They were popular. But there was to be no happy ending.

After a 2020 season with frequent sightings, the mother-calf pair departed the southeast U.S. and began the northward migration. In the morning of 25 June 2020, a boater reported a floating whale carcass off New Jersey. The dead whale was identified as the male calf of #3560.

It is uncertain whether or not whales grieve or experience pain and emotions, but #3560 might have experienced both.

She continued on the feeding grounds. Additional trauma was in store. On 10 March 2021, #3560, Snow Cone was sighted entangled off Cape Cod. Some line was removed but the entanglement was considered serious.

There is blue sky. On 2 December, Snow Cone was sighted off Georgia―with a calf ! Like Derecha, she had a quick turn-around and a short interval between calves.  Remarkable! 

So, when you see either of these remarkable and resilient females, courtesy and respect are in order.

You may notice that Snow Cone continues to be entangled, and sections of trailing rope can be seen (image below). Folks have asked why is there no intervention or disentanglement?  The answer: at this time, there is great caution and reservation against harassing or impacting the mother-calf pair in the case of a young calf, with a priority on nursing and bonding. Then too, Snow Cone is judged to be reasonably healthy. A judgement has been made by those with expertise that the pair will be given wide berth.

Snow Cone, photographed by S. Ellis from a drone on 13 January 2022, is trailing line (one strand through the mouth) and has a wound on the forward part of the rostrum.  (Permit #20626)

The volunteer sighting network can contribute to watching and documenting and protecting these remarkable females, as well as others that may surprise us as the season goes along.

If you plan to spend time on the coast, please carry the phone card from the previous post and call the Marine Resources Council's Hotline number if you see a whale.

SURVEYS BEGIN

The 2022 volunteer sighting network lookouts begin today, Tuesday, 4 January.

To date, 11 Right whale mother-calf pairs have been reported in the waters of the southeastern U.S. Two of these pairs have been reported in the Marineland vicinity.  Others may flow into our area.

In addition, several of the other survey teams to our north have reported reproductive-age females who are potential mothers.

On all counts, we are looking for a strong season within our survey area. If you would like additional tips about spotting whales and how to report your sightings, access the Team Handbook from our website, www.aswh.org (select from lower left on the home page).  

Please download this card and carry it in your wallet.