Even with their giant size, North Pacific right whales get all the energy they need from tiny organisms. Their feeding grounds are within high-latitude waters, such as the southeastern Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk.

Right whales have suffered massive population losses due to whaling. These whales were prime targets of whaling operations due to their slow movement, large amounts of baleen and oil, and tendency to float to the surface once killed.

While our organization focuses on the NPRW, there are three species of right whale in total: the North Atlantic, North Pacific, and Southern right whales. These three whales are similar to one another but they are primarily distinguished by their population size and range.

The recent North Pacific right whale sighting has given us more insight into how these whales interact with kelp! Kelping is widely utilized by humpback whale populations, but NPRWs have been seen with kelp as well, both in California and British Columbia.

Look at all of the calves and juvenile North Pacific right whales people have seen over the years! The presence of these young whales is extremely important, since it means the population is reproducing. The more young whales there are, the greater the chance of survival for this endangered species.

Check out this CBC coverage discussing the recent NPRW sighting in British Columbia!
youtu.be/tjPmEzAjRU8?...

Following the new sighting off the coast of British Columbia, you may be wondering how you can spot your own NPRW! This guide describes the main features of the NPRW to look out for and how to distinguish it from the commonly-mistaken gray whale.

Notchy was crowned the fan favorite NPRW on our Instagram story! Notchy has migrated from the central to the North Pacific, the only one of its kind to do so. They were first seen in Hawaii in 1996 and 4 months later in Alaska. Overall, they have been seen in 1996, 2000, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2017.

Hi everyone! I'm Olivia East, and I’ll be running the SNPRW socials over the summer. I’m currently performing a news media analysis on the North Pacific right whale to investigate a correlation between published news media and environmental policies. So excited to help spread awareness for the NPRW!

Two weeks until the Left Coast’s Right Whale symposium! Register for free at www.northpacificrightwhale.org/symposium

It’s been a historic spring for North Pacific right whale sightings in the western North Pacific. Usually, one sighting a year is a cause for celebration. This year, there have been SIX sightings off the coast of Japan.

One of the big questions with North Pacific right whales is: do they migrate? New research uses skin samples from the whales to figure out where they’re feeding in the spring. Spoiler alert: it’s not the Bering Sea where they can be found in the summer!
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-stor...

Join us for a virtual symposium on January 15th! ​This free event will dive into North Pacific right whale conservation and ecology, and you’ll get to hear from scientists, ropeless gear innovators, and us!

Register for the event at www.northpacificrightwhale.org/symposium