2025–2026 North Atlantic Right Whale Mother and Calf Pairs

From November through April, during “calving season,” right whales and their young can be spotted together in the waters off the Southeastern coast of the United States, where the whales migrate to give birth. During this time, researchers on and above the water keep their eye out for whale mothers and their calves, a hopeful sight for the survival of these critically endangered marine animals.

The critically endangered North Atlantic right whale population has continued to gradually increase, rising again in number according to estimates from the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium. The estimate for 2024 is 384 (+10/-9 for range of error), representing a 2.1 percent increase in population size from the 2023 estimate, which was recalculated as 376 (+4/-3).

After reaching a low of 358 individuals in 2020, the upward trend is encouraging for scientists, who emphasized that continued protections are needed to continue growing the population. Researchers at our Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, from right whale biologists conducting research via boats and planes to working in the laboratory to study right whale health and hormones, are working diligently to learn more about and conserve this species.

Throughout the calving season, right whale researchers manage a detailed list of mom and calf pairs with biographical information that includes photographs, lineage, where the whales were last seen, how they were named, and the challenges each whale has faced. This data comes from the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog, which is maintained by researchers with the Aquarium.

Calving season ends as the whales move back north for the spring and summer.

So far this season, seven new mother and calf pairs have been sighted. Meet them below, and learn more about what you can do to help protect right whales here.

Recent Sightings

Harmonia – Catalog #3101

Birth year: 2001
Age: 25 years old
Last calving year: 2020
Previous calves: Catalog #3901, Gully (Catalog #4601), Agave (Catalog #5001)
Other known relatives: 9 siblings, 2 nieces and nephews
Direct human impacts: 10 entanglements
Human impacts on family members: 44 entanglements and 5 vessel strikes

Another calf has been sighted! Lucky number seven was spotted on December 17, 2025 by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources vessel team, and relayed quickly to the nearby aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The mother, Harmonia (Catalog #3101), is 25 years old and this is her fourth known calf. Harmonia was born in 2001 to mother Aphrodite (Catalog #1701) and father Velcro (Catalog #1306), and her maternal grandmother is Catalog #1219. Her name is a very literal family name as Harmonia is one of the daughters of the Greek goddess, Aphrodite. The Greek mythology names have continued with other relatives including Harmonia’s brother, Eros (Catalog #3701), and her son, Agave (Catalog #5001).

Harmonia has an undesirable superlative in that she has experienced at least ten entanglement events in her life, which is more than any other right whale that we know of. That makes it even more amazing that she’s gone on to give birth to four calves so far! In addition to Harmonia’s ten entanglements, her family members have faced another 44 entanglements and five vessel strikes. Harmonia’s first calf was found dead with propeller cuts at the age of one, and her second calf, Gully (Catalog #4601), hasn’t been seen in several years after a severe entanglement at age two. Her third calf, six-year-old Agave, is still seen regularly, but has also been entangled several times already. We can only hope Harmonia doesn’t seek to maintain her title of most entangled, and that her latest calf breaks the trend of early entanglements and goes on to live a long and healthy life.

Cascade – Catalog #3157

Birth year: 2001
Age: 25 years old
Last calving year: 2022
Previous calves: FDR (Catalog #4057), Seamount (Catalog #4457), and Catalog #5257
Other known relatives: 9 siblings, 12 nieces and nephews
Direct human impacts: 2 entanglements
Human impacts on family members: 36 entanglements and 1 vessel strike (parents, siblings, offspring only)

On December 16, 2025, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Georgia team spotted Cascade (Catalog#3157) with her fourth known calf. Cascade was born in 2001 to mother Moon (Catalog #1157) and father Catalog #1033. She has nine known siblings, split nearly evenly between her mother and her father. Having four paternal siblings is quite impressive since the catalog has much more limited information on paternity, given that it can only be known through genetic testing. Cascade’s name comes from the white scarring on either side of her head that cascades down her lips or lower jaw. Cascade’s last two calves are still seen regularly, but her first, FDR, hasn’t been since 2016 when he was severely entangled.

In addition to her first calf’s likely fatal entanglement, Cascade’s immediate family has faced 35 other entanglement events and one fatal vessel strike. Cascade’s two entanglements thankfully haven’t affected her ability to give birth so far, but like many other right whales, the evidence remains visible on her tail stock.

Squilla – Catalog #3720

Birth year: 2007
Age: 19 years old
Last calving year: 2021
Previous calves: #5120
Other known relatives: 4 siblings, 1 niece, and 1 nephew.
Direct human impacts: 3 entanglements
Human impacts on family members: 15 entanglements and 1 vessel strike

On December 11, 2025, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s South Carolina team spotted the fifth calf of the season. The mom, Squilla (Catalog #3720) was born in 2007 to mother Mantis (Catalog #1620). She was also named partially in honor of her mom; Squilla is the genus name of the mantis shrimp, and part of her callosity that resembles a mantis shrimp’s bulgy eyes. Her sister, Nymph (Catalog #4020), was also named in relation to mom. Perhaps this calf will carry the naming theme into another generation.

Squilla bears scars from at least three entanglement events, though all seemed to be minor, but many of her relatives have a different story. Her first calf, Catalog #5120, died at the age of three after being entangled in fishing gear for two years. Her niece Catalog #3893 and nephew Catalog #4193 also both died from entanglements at 10 years old and one year old, respectively. Entanglements at young ages are especially difficult because the smaller whales are less able to break away from the ropes and a tightly wrapped rope can quickly become problematic for a whale that’s still growing. The other entanglement events this family has faced were not fatal, but remain a sad reality this species faces regularly.

Bocce – Catalog #3860

Birth year: 2008
Age: 18 years old
Last calving year: 2021
Previous calves: Catalog #5160
Other known relatives: Parents, maternal grandparents, 7 siblings, 3 nieces/nephews, 8 aunts/uncles, and 11 cousins
Direct human impacts: 3 entanglements and 2 vessel strikes
Human impacts on family members: 31 entanglements and 2 vessel strikes (between 9 immediate family members)

The fourth calf of the season was spotted off the coast of Georgia on December 10, 2025,  by Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Georgia team. The mother, Bocce (Catalog #3860), was born 18 years ago to mother Naevus (Catalog #2040), and father Trident (Catalog #1113). If that sounds familiar it’s because Bocce’s sister, Millipede, is also a mom this year! (Scroll down for more info on Millipede.) Being another granddaughter of Wart (Catalog #1140), she is part of the same large family tree.

Bocce has at least one previous calf, though she may have given birth twice before. In the 2016 calving season, Bocce was documented raising the calf of another mother. It was eventually discovered there was a three-way calf swap, but only two calves involved. It’s thought that Bocce gave birth to a calf that was quickly lost before being documented, but because of that pregnancy she was able to nurse another calf. It’s unclear why the swap happened—whether calves were “stolen” or the mothers caring for them were filling a need—but because the suspected first calf was never actually seen by anyone, it cannot be cataloged, leaving Bocce’s calf count a bit nebulous.

Bocce was named for the several islands (the circular callosity patches) on her head that resemble a game of bocce ball. She bears scars from at least three entanglements and two vessel strikes, but fortunately those were all considered to be minor injuries. Some of her family members weren’t so lucky. At least three that we know of suffered fatal injuries. Hopefully this new calf will carry its mother’s “lucky genes” and live a long and healthy life.

Callosity Back – Catalog #3760

Birth year: 2007
Age: 19 years old
Last calving year: N/A
Previous calves: N/A
Other known relatives: Parents, 7 siblings, 7 nieces/nephews
Direct human impacts: 3 entanglements
Human impacts on family members: 28 entanglements and 1 vessel strikes (between 8 immediate family members)

On December 4, 2025, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s South Carolina team spotted the third calf of the season. Callosity Back (Catalog #3760) was seen with her first calf, making her our first-known first-time-mom of the season! Callosity Back was born in 2007 to mother Derecha (Catalog #2360) and father Gemini (Catalog #1150) who are both still seen regularly. Despite having seven siblings and many nieces and nephews, Callosity Back is the first to calve on her mother’s side, making Derecha a grandmother! Callosity Back’s name may seem a little weird, but there’s no question where it came from: She’s seemingly the only right whale to have callosity patches on her back. These rough patches of skin, that help uniquely identify right whales, are typically only found on the head.

The large numbers of entanglements among her family members is unfortunately a trend that’s not likely to go away as we see more mom-calf pairs. Callosity Back’s family has seen many entanglements; she was entangled at least three times by the age of four, but she escaped those events fairly unscathed and has thankfully avoided any subsequent entanglements for the past ~15 years! We hope she can teach her calf her ways. Her “older” sibling Catalog #5010 who was born in 2020 wasn’t as fortunate. They were struck by a vessel at just a few weeks old, and likely succumbed to its injuries, as they haven’t been seen since.

Millipede – Catalog #3520

Birth year: 2005
Age: 21 years old
Last calving year: 2021
Previous calves: Catalog #5192 and an uncatalogued calf in 2013
Other known relatives: Parents, maternal grandparents, 8 siblings, 3 nieces/nephews, 8 aunts/uncles, and 11 cousins
Direct human impacts: 4 entanglements and 1 vessel strike
Human impacts on family members: 40 entanglements and 3 vessel strikes (between 11 immediate family members)

The second mom-calf pair of the season were spotted off the Florida/Georgia border by Florida Fish and Wildlife on December 3, 2025. The 21-year-old mother, Millipede (Catalog #3520) was seen with her third known calf. Millipede was born in 2005 to mother Naevus (Catalog #2040) and father Catalog #1818, and she has eight siblings. She is also the granddaughter to Wart (Catalog #1140) who has a famously large family tree. While Wart hasn’t been seen in over a decade, she has many generations of females in her family that are continuing her legacy.

A large family like Millipede’s is bound to have their fair share of injury events, but they have exceptionally bad experiences with vessel strikes. Millipede’s name comes from a long series of propeller cuts along her right side she acquired from an interaction with a vessel at just one year old. Luckily for her, these cuts were superficial and seem to be healed. Several of her family members weren’t as lucky; two nephews—Wolverine (Catalog #4023) and Catalog #5130—and a cousin, Catalog #5340, were all killed by vessel early in their lives. Perhaps Millipede will teach her little one to keep a safe distance from boats.

Champagne – Catalog #3904

Birth year: 2009
Age: 17 years old
Last calving year: 2021
Previous calves: Wall-E (Catalog #5104)
Other known relatives: Parents, 8 siblings, 5 nieces & nephews
Direct human impacts: 5 entanglements
Human impacts on family members: 21 entanglements

On November 28, 2025, the first mom-calf pair of the season were seen of the coast of South Carolina!
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s South Carolina-based team spotted Champagne (Catalog #3904) with her second known calf. Champagne was born in 2009 to prolific mother Spindle (Catalog #1204), who has 10 known calves, and fathered by Catalog #1050. She was named for the clustered circular parts of the callosity pattern on her head that look like bubbles. This is Champagne’s second calf; the first, Wall-E, who was just named last year, was born in 2021. This five-year calving interval is promising when the more recent average has been closer to 10 years.

Being a calf of such a productive mom means Champagne has many siblings, with at least nine on her mom’s side, though only six have been cataloged. She also has two more siblings on her father’s side. Of her immediate family, nine of them have a total of 26 entanglements. Champagne has very notable scars from her five entanglement events but seems to be doing well. Cheers to what is hopefully just the first of many calves this season!