Northern right whale births are at the highest level on record, according to researchers flying over calving grounds off the coasts of Florida and Georgia. The researchers have spotted 24 surviving newborns this calving season, a big jump over last year, when they only saw one. They think the rise might relate to the increased availability of plankton, the whale’s main food source. Northern right whales were driven close to extinction by whaling, and fewer than 350 now exist. Their number one cause of death now is collisions with ships.
