First Calf of the Season Arrives — But Right Whales Still Need Stronger Protection to Survive
Press Release Date: December 1, 2025
Media contacts: Vaishali Dassani, Oceana Canada, vdassani@oceana.ca, 647-294-3335;
Rose-Marie Ménard, Pilot PMR, rosemarie.menard@pilotpmr.com, +1-579-622-9925
The first calf of the season has just been born into a prolific line of North Atlantic right whale mothers. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium Institute located the mother, Champagne (right whale #3904) and her new calf east of Litchfield by the Sea, South Carolina, on November 28, 2025. This calf’s grandmother is Spindle (#1204), a whale that has given birth to an extraordinary 10 calves. Seventeen-year-old Champagne is a second-time mom, having given birth to her first calf, Wall-E, in 2021.
Below is Oceana Canada’s response from Hanna Vatcher, North Atlantic right whale campaigner:
“With only 70 reproductive females remaining, the birth of a calf is a measurable gain for a population in crisis. In a species of approximately 380 individuals, every calf matters, and every year without stronger protection puts their survival at risk.
In 2025, 11 calves were born, down from 20 in 2024. Notably, there have been no confirmed right whale deaths in 2025 — a testament to the protections in place in Canadian waters. But it is also a reminder that we cannot afford to lose momentum. Now is the time for decisive federal action to secure the future of these calves by addressing the two greatest threats: entanglements in fishing gear and ship strikes.
Across Atlantic Canada, early adopters of ropeless fishing gear are already proving what’s possible: more than 1 million pounds of snow crab have been landed using it, with more than 1,600 deployments involving 22 fishers in 15 lobster and crab areas. This progress shows that protecting right whales and keeping fisheries open can go together — but coexistence requires federal leadership.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada must urgently accelerate the transition to ropeless gear in high-risk areas and release its long-overdue Whalesafe Fishing Gear Strategy. Transport Canada must expand the restricted shipping area and make the Cabot Strait slowdown mandatory for the full season. Protection should not be optional; it is the only path to saving right whales.”
Oceana Canada was established as an independent charity in 2015 and is part of the largest international advocacy group dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana Canada has successfully campaigned to ban single-use plastics, end the shark fin trade, make rebuilding depleted fish populations the law, improve the way fisheries are managed and protect marine habitat. We work with civil society, academics, fishers, Indigenous Peoples and governments to return Canada’s formerly vibrant oceans to health and abundance. By restoring Canada’s oceans, we can strengthen our communities, reap greater economic and nutritional benefits, and protect our future. Find out more at Oceana.ca.
