"There are only about 370 North Atlantic right whales left. Of those, an alarmingly small number are mothers. Squilla is one of them."
"A few years ago, she gave birth to a female who one day might help those numbers grow. But danger was all around.
Squilla took to motherhood. When she was first spotted with her new calf in January 2021 off the Georgia coast, mother and daughter stayed so close as they swam that they were touching. The baby rolled around in the water, as calves often do, and Squilla joined in, turning her belly to the sky.
The birth of Squilla’s calf was a momentous event for their species, the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale. As one of just 70 or so mothers, Squilla is part of a small group that represents the species’ last chance for survival. The fact that Squilla had a daughter made the birth more significant still, offering the possibility of a new generation of matriarchs."
Catrin Einhorn reports for the New York Times October 26, 2024.
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