Georgia State Marine Mammal: Georgia State Marine Mammal | North Atlantic Right Whale

In 1980, photographers from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources captured images of a right whale off the Georgia coast. They sent the photographs to the New England Aquarium in Boston, where researchers identified the whale as Fermata, an individual they had been tracking for years in northern waters. This single photograph raised an urgent question: What was Fermata doing off Georgia's coast in winter?

In February 1984, Scott Kraus from the New England Aquarium led an expedition to Georgia's coastal waters, partnering with volunteer Delta Airlines pilots from Atlanta who provided aircraft and expertise. During five days of aerial surveys, the team spotted Fermata with a newborn calf, then found 14 more adult whales and four additional newborn calves. The expedition confirmed what had been unknown for centuries: right whales were using Georgia's warm, shallow coastal waters as their birthing grounds.

Whalers named this species the 'right' whale to hunt starting around 800 years ago. Right whales swim slowly near the surface close to shore, making them easy targets. Their bodies contain enormous amounts of blubber, providing high yields of whale oil for lamps and other uses. When killed, right whales float rather than sink, allowing whalers to tow them to shore for processing. These characteristics made them the 'right' choice for commercial hunting, driving the species to the brink of extinction by the late 1800s.

Before 1980, scientists knew right whales summered in the Bay of Fundy and other northern feeding grounds, then disappeared south in winter. Finding the calving grounds off Georgia and northern Florida answered one of marine biology's major unsolved mysteries. The discovery transformed conservation strategy because protecting calving mothers and vulnerable newborns became a top priority. Georgia's waters within 15 miles of shore from Savannah to the Florida border received federal designation as critical habitat.

In the winter of 1981-82, Charles Cowan, Hans Neuhauser, and Cathy Sakas discovered a beached right whale calf on Little St. Simons Island. The stranded calf sparked investigation into whether right whales were regularly present off Georgia's coast rather than being rare visitors. This finding, combined with the 1980 photographs, led to the 1984 expedition that proved Georgia's waters served as calving grounds.

The waters off Georgia and northern Florida within 15 miles of shore represent the only known place where North Atlantic right whales give birth. Pregnant females arrive in late November and stay through March, seeking calm, warm, predator-free waters where newborns can build strength before the long migration north. This geographic concentration makes the species especially vulnerable—any disaster in these waters could eliminate an entire year's worth of calves.

Designating the right whale as state marine mammal elevated awareness among Georgia's coastal residents, boaters, and commercial mariners. The species faces two primary threats: vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. Seasonal speed restrictions for large vessels, boater education programs, and modified fishing practices all grew from recognizing that Georgia's activities directly affect the species' survival. The designation turned abstract conservation goals into local responsibility.

Georgia's Department of Natural Resources partners with the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to conduct aerial and boat-based surveys each winter. Researchers photograph the unique white patterns on each whale's head, allowing individual identification and tracking across years. These surveys provide essential data on calf production, population trends, and health status. The North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, established in 1986, coordinates research and conservation efforts across the United States and Canada.

To reduce fatal ship strikes, federal regulations require vessels 65 feet and longer to travel at 10 knots or less in designated Seasonal Management Areas when active (November 1-April 30 north of Georgia's Sapelo Island; November 15-April 15 south of Sapelo Island). Georgia's commercial shipping port at Savannah and the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base both operate in right whale habitat, making speed compliance essential during calving season.

Entanglement in lobster trap lines, gillnets, and other fishing gear poses a severe threat. Whales become wrapped in ropes that cut into their skin, restrict movement, and prevent feeding. Even whales that survive initial entanglement often die later from infections or starvation. NOAA Fisheries works with the fishing industry to develop 'ropeless' or on-demand fishing gear that eliminates persistent vertical lines in the water. Seasonal fishing closures protect areas where whales concentrate.

Each winter, research teams photograph right whales off Georgia and Florida, using the unique white callosity patterns to identify individuals. Biologists compare new photographs to the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog, a collection of more than one million images dating to 1935. This photo-identification work tracks which females are reproducing, how often they give birth, and whether calves survive. Skin samples collected from newborns provide genetic data about population health.

Together, Georgia's two mammal symbols tell a complete story about wildlife conservation. The white-tailed deer demonstrates that species can recover when given habitat and protection. Right whales show that recovery requires more than just laws—it demands ongoing effort, international cooperation, and changes in how humans use the ocean. Where deer hunting generates economic activity and connects Georgians to rural traditions, right whale protection requires economic sacrifices (slower ships, modified fishing gear) for the long-term goal of species survival.

The right whale represents Georgia's 100-mile coastline and its significance for marine biodiversity. While Georgia has less coastline than neighboring Florida or South Carolina, the state holds approximately one-third of the Atlantic seaboard's marshland. These productive marshes and estuaries support fish and shellfish that feed both people and marine mammals. By choosing the right whale, Georgia connected its coastal economy and maritime heritage to conservation responsibility.