Researchers reveal troubling findings about whale lifespans: 'Nobody thinks they're going to survive'

Research has shown that whales can live incredibly long lives. The critically endangered right whales have lifespans of 130 years or more — so why are they dying in North America so young?

What's happening?

A new study, as published by Science Advances and reported by Edward Carver in Mongabay, revealed that the North Atlantic right whales are living far shorter lives than their relatives in the south because of the dangers they face in their habitat off the coasts of the United States and Canada.

Greg Breed, an ecologist at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and lead author of the study, told Mongabay, "We infer that both should be able to live to 130 and North Atlantic doesn't because they're being killed in crab pots and lobster gear and ship strikes."

The understanding of whale longevity has come with great challenges since the best way to determine their age is immediately after death. Another issue is that pods were decimated by hunting in the 19th and 20th centuries after whaling gained popularity — particularly with right whales because of their slower speeds.

Certain narwhals, blue whales, and fin whales have been found to live to more than 100. A seminal 1999 study went so far as to analyze protein in the eyes of dozens of bowhead whales against harpoon tips with traces of blubber from the 1880s. Remarkably having survived a hunt from that era, one bowhead lived another century and was estimated to be 211 years old.

Breed and his fellow authors collected more than four decades of data to analyze survivorship curves. Kevin Healy, a quantitative ecologist at the University of Galway in Ireland, complimented the authors' work, per Mongabay, saying survivorship models were "really the only way to get at this," given that the alternative was lethal sampling, which is unethical. 

They concluded that 10% of southern right whales should live to be at least 131.8 years old, but for North Atlantic right whales, the figure was just 47.2 years old. 

An expert in right whales and senior scientist at the New England Aquarium in Boston, Philip Hamilton, called the disparity "stark" and was quoted saying, "Really highlights the impacts of anthropogenic injury and mortality" — anthropogenic meaning human activity.

A 2019 study looked at documented North Atlantic right whale deaths between 2003 and 2018 and found that 88% of the 70 fatalities were caused by humans — 22 whales killed by entanglement in fishing gear, while 16 met their end by vessel collisions.

Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely Only in some areas Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Why is the right whale's life span so concerning?

The North Atlantic right whale's short lifespan, despite their ability to live for far longer, spells trouble. The species is already critically endangered, with fewer than 370 whales in existence and only 70 breeding females, and these findings prove that their survival is quite literally in our hands.

Hamilton warned that North Atlantic right whales were at a "tipping point," saying, "it's up to us how we can improve their conditions." He said they live in a "very industrialized ocean" given the grave threats from fishing gear and vessel strikes.

Breed said flatly that the outlook was "bad" and that "in the marine mammal community, nobody thinks they're going to survive."

These majestic creatures need our protection as they are the "engineers" of the ocean, transporting nutrients between the surface and deeper depths through their feeding habits. By fertilizing the water and aiding in phytoplankton growth — which generate half of the Earth's oxygen and absorb 40% of the planet's carbon dioxide according to Scientific American — they are crucial to regulating carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

If nothing is done, extinction is a very real possibility.

What's being done to save Northern Atlantic right whales?

Preventing vessel strikes is the main objective of protecting these animals. Implementing speed limits in critical habitats, improving whale alert systems with thermal technology, remapping shipping routes, and education are crucial to reversing the damage to the population. Initiatives are underway to transition to ropeless fishing gear to minimize entanglement risks, the Conservation Law Foundation reports, although affordability has become an issue.

Another major factor is that our warming planet has changed their migration patterns, putting them at even greater risk in unprotected waters. Anything we can do on an individual level to reduce our carbon impact and help cool things off is paramount. 

Riding a bike or opting to walk whenever possible, reducing single-use plastic like coffee cups and water bottles, and upgrading to eco-friendly beauty products and sunscreens are simple, small ways to dynamic, giant differences.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.