North Atlantic Right Whales Spotted In 2020

Tara Clow May 5, 2020 12:25 pm Last Updated on February 7, 2026 4:34 pm

North Atlantic right whales have returned to Canadian waters.

Two right whales were spotted in the Gulf of St. Lawrence this week by a Fisheries and Oceans Canada aircraft.

Conservation and Protection aircraft will continue to monitor fishing areas for the whales in 2020.

Around 400 North Atlantic right whales remain.

Ten whale calves have been seen in U.S. waters so far this year.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, DFO continues to deliver on its mandate to protect North Atlantic right whales.

· DFO will implement its 2020 fisheries management measures as planned.

· Conservation and Protection aircraft are currently monitoring fishing areas for North Atlantic right whales and will monitor any fishery closure areas to ensure compliance with the law.

· Multiple surveillance aircraft will monitor and survey whale distribution.

Dalhousie University’s Whale Map shows the most recent detections of the whales in Canada.

Author

Tara Clow

Tara Clow is a multi-award-winning news anchor and reporter with more than 30 years of experience at radio stations across Canada. She is a graduate of the Radio and TV Arts program at Toronto Metropolitan University and the Humber College radio broadcasting program. She is based in Moncton and covers stories across Canada. Contact Tara at clow.tara@radioabl.ca.