May 13, 2026
In Search of Food: Right Whales Arrive In Atlantic Canada
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BY: Hanna Vatcher
After a productive calving season with 23 new calves born to the population, North Atlantic right whales have returned to Canadian waters. Each year, these whales travel long distances. They begin in the warm, shallow waters off the southeastern United States, where mothers give birth and nurse their calves. They travel north to colder waters, covering thousands of kilometres to find food.
The Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Bay of Fundy, and Roseway Basin serve as key feeding grounds. These areas contain dense patches of copepods — tiny, energy-rich plankton that right whales rely on almost exclusively.
But the ocean is changing. As climate change warms the water, prey shifts. This forces right whales to move into areas of the ocean that are busier with human activity, where they face greater danger. These threats are mounting. North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered, with only about 380 individuals remaining and only 70 breeding females. In a crowded area like the Gulf of St. Lawrence, whales face two main human-caused threats: ship strikes and fishing gear entanglement.
Ship strikes are a constant risk
Right whales swim slowly and spend much of their time near the surface. They are hard to see in fog, sun glare, low light, or rough seas. Ships often cannot react in time to avoid a whale. Busy areas like the Cabot Strait and major shipping routes are especially dangerous.
Entanglement in fishing gear is the second major threat
Many feeding areas in the Gulf of St. Lawrence overlap with Canada’s most lucrative lobster and snow crab fisheries. Vertical lines used in traditional fishing practices pose a serious risk to whales moving through the water column. Entanglement causes deep injuries, infection, stress, and exhaustion. Even if a whale breaks free, trailing rope and buoys can slow it down and make feeding harder. In some cases, this leads to death.
The Canadian government is taking steps to address these threats and there are signs of progress. Annual measures implemented by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and Transport Canada have helped reduce harm. There were no reported right whale deaths in Canadian waters in 2025. There have been no ship-strike deaths in Canada since 2019. But this progress remains fragile.
In January 2026, a right whale known as Division died after being entangled in Canadian crab fishing gear. It is a stark reminder that risks remain and gaps in protection persist.
Deceased 4-year-old male entangled North Atlantic right whale “Division” (#5217) floating approximately 25 miles offshore of Avon, North Carolina, on January 27, 2026. Division died from his entanglement injuries. Only a partial carcass remains due to active scavenging by sharks, many of which can be seen around the whale.
Currently, Canada’s measures are temporary and not permanent regulations. Some ship speed rules are voluntary, and compliance falls short. For example, in 2024, Oceana Canada’s analysis of ship speeds found that more than half of ships did not follow the voluntary slowdown in the Cabot Strait, a busy corridor for right whales entering the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Protecting North Atlantic right whales
Whales need consistent protection, and fishers and shipping industries need clear and predictable rules. Canada must do more. To better protect right whales, we must:
- Implement the Whalesafe Fishing Gear Strategy and require on-demand gear in high-risk areas by 2028.
- Make all slowdowns for ships mandatory, including in the Cabot Strait when right whales are in Canadian waters.
- Expand the restricted area in the Shediac Valley to better reflect the current right whale locations in this critical feedback habitat.
- Continue the use of a comprehensive array of technologies (including acoustic, satellite and infra-red) to look for right whales and to better understand their movements in Canadian waters.
As climate change shifts ocean conditions and moves whales’ food source, policies must adapt just as quickly. The path forward is clear, the tools exist, and the science is strong. Right whales rely on Canadian waters for food and survival. We have a responsibility to make these waters safe and give them a fighting chance.
North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered, with only about 380 left. Their survival is threatened by entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes. Learn how you can help >>
