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Why are they endangered?
Whalers targeted them for oil, meat, and baleen (whale mouth filters) - used in corsets, umbrellas, bonnets, and more - causing their population to drop to fewer than 100. Even after whaling was banned in 1935, ship strikes, fishing gear entanglement, and food shortages (because of overfishing) have kept their numbers dangerously low.
Main threats
The main threats to North Atlantic right whales today are ship strikes, and entanglement in fishing gear. Climate change is also a major issue, as it disrupts their food supply and migration patterns. Habitat loss from human activity affects their critical feeding and breeding areas, making it harder for the population to recover. Since 2017, there have been deaths due to 10 entanglements, 15 vessel strikes, 14 unknown causes, and 2 perinatal deaths. Their average life expectancy is around 70 years.
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