Right Whale

Susan Park and Scott Kraus

After recalling their close encounters with male Right Whales in the Bay of Fundy with our host Ari Daniel Shapiro, we asked scientists Susan Parks and Scott Kraus to answer a few questions. Take a minute to meet these adventurous scientists as they share what they love about science.

Where do you Work?

Susan: I am a Research Associate, at the Applied Research Laboratory, at the Pennsylvania State University.
Scott: I am the Vice President of Research at the New England Aquarium in Boston,Massachusetts.

What do you study?

Susan: I study the behavior and sound production of large whales.
Scott: I am a whale biologist who got forced into oceanography, bycatch, and habitat studies because whales have to live somewhere!

What are three titles you would give yourself?

Susan: bioacoustician, ecologist, educator
Scott: Foodie, skier, evolutionary biologist

What do you like to do when you are not working?

Susan: Hike, ride horses, travel
Scott: Cooking (and eating!) great food, skiing (and falling down) large steep mountains, and tramping around in the outdoors.

What do you like most about studying whales?

Susan: Exploring the unknown. Whales can be found in all the world's oceans but so many basic questions about their biology and behavior remain unanswered. Many species of whales are also endangered, so being able to do science that contributes to their conservation is very rewarding.
Scott: I love the opportunity to satisfy my curiosity about the way the biological world works, and I particularly love being at sea - its endlessly mysterious, surprising, and calming, all at once.

The One Species at a Time podcast series is brought to you by the Encyclopedia of Life and Atlantic Public Media with a consortium of marine education network partners. Developed expressly for students aged 9-13, the podcasts highlight marine species with high kid appeal and rich, relevant classroom resources available through the education partners. Each activity also covers one or more of the Ocean Literacy principles.

See below for activities and links to resources:

Activity: How do Humpback Whales Feed?
Source: National Geographic Xpeditions
Overview: The activity covers background, migration, and feeding behaviors of humpback whales. It also includes a simulation of bubble net feeding and a drawing exercise.
Age Level: ages 7-10; grades 3-5
Subject Areas: Life Sciences, Geography
United States National Science Standards: Included
Ocean Literacy Principles (OLP):
OLP #5 The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems
OLP #6 The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected

Activity: Tale of a Whale

Source: Smithsonian Institution and New England Aquarium
Age Level: ages 12-15;grades 6-9
Overview:  Students exercise their observation skills to do some of the actual work of marine biologists who study the endangered North Atlantic right whale. They identify an individual whale by examining photographs taken at sea. They then examine a record of sighting of the whale in order to track its movements.Also, check out Right Whale facts from the New England Aquarium.
Subject Areas: Geography, Life Science
United States National Science Standards: Included
Ocean Literacy Principles(OLP):
OLP #5 The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems
OLP #6 The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected

Activity:  The Best Hope for Northern Right Whales
Article “North Atlantic Right Whales on Path to Extinction”
Source: National Geographic Xpeditions
Age Level: ages 13-18; grades 9-12
Overview: This lesson asks students to research current and proposed methods of assisting the recovery of northern right whale populations. Students will conduct Internet research to investigate the best strategies to help save right whales.
Subject Areas: Geography, Life Science
United States National Science Standards: Included
Ocean Literacy Principles(OLP):
OLP #5 The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems
OLP #6 The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected

Activity:  WebQuest: Sensory Biology and the Plight of the Right Whales
Source: University of Maine Lindsey Lab/ Drs. Jill C. Fegley and Sara M. Lindsay
Age Level: ages 14-18; grades 9-12
Overview:  This lesson introduces high school students (grades 9-12) to the topic of sensory perception in the marine environment. The WebQuest introduces the role of acoustic cues in ocean ecology and challenges students to determine if acoustic warning devices are useful tools to prevent right whale fishing gear entanglements and ship strikes in the Gulf of Maine.
Subject Areas: Earth Science, Life Science, Technology
United States National Science Standards: Not Included
Ocean Literacy Principles (OLP):
OLP #5 The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems
OLP #6 The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected

Here you will find intriguing extras: segments our producers weren't able to fit into a five-minute podcast as well as links, images, and cool facts. 

Images

Check out pictures of North Atlantic Right Whale species page on the Encyclopedia of Life website and learn more about them.  

Audio Extras

Take a minute to listen to audio clips of Susan and Scott’s additional encounters with  North Atlantic Right Whales (Eubalaena glacialis)

Scott Kraus has had thousands of close encounters with right whales in the North Atlantic. Hear how a female right whale hid behind his boat to elude pesky male suitors.

Listen:

North Atlantic Whales will let you know if you are annoying them, but never in a vindictive way.Scott Kraus explains how whales make it clear when they’ve had enough.

Listen:

There are fewer than 400 North Atlantic Right Whales left in the oceans. Susan Parks points out the connections between her research into Eubalaena glacialis mating behavior and her conservation goals for this endangered species.

Listen:

North Atlantic Right Whales sometimes gather at the surface in groups of 2-3 or as many as 40 individuals, splashing and calling and using their tails to create white water. Researchers are interested in what these surface active groups are up to. Listen as Susan Parks offers insights into these spectacular social and vocal behaviors.

Listen:

Facts

Want to know how much a North Atlantic Right Whale weights? Find out more here and learn other interesting facts about Eubalaena glacialis.

• Unique white patches on the faces of each whale allow scientists to tell individuals apart.

• North Atlantic Right Whale scat is bright orange from the krill they eat. Because it also floats and smells (!) researchers have trained scat-sniffing dogs to track the whales by following the floating, orange scat on the ocean surface.

• North Atlantic Right Whales have two blowholes, which give them their characteristic V-shaped spray when they surface to expel air.

• A North Atlantic Right Whale can weigh up to 100 metric tons (Weight Range is 60,000-100,000kg).

• The oldest known North Atlantic Right Whale lived to be 67 years old.

• North Atlantic Right Whales are migratory, spending their winters in warmer waters off the southeastern United States around Georgia and Florida. They spend their summers in New England waters and north to the Bay of Fundy and Scotian Shelf.

• North Atlantic Right Whales are an endangered species.The most recent census in 2008 revealed a population of fewer than 400 individuals.

• Whaling used to pose the greatest risk to Eubelaena gracialis. Now they are threatened by entanglement in fishing gear, ship strikes, and pollution.