exactEarth Blog Save the Whales: Tracking Ship Strike with S-AIS

North Atlantic right whales are magnificent creatures. Weighing in at approximately 79 tonnes, and measuring 15 metres in length, North Atlantic right whales have a natural life expectancy of 50 to 70 years. Females give birth for the first time around age 10. Gestation lasts a year, and newborn calves measure 4 metres in length. An endangered species, scientists estimate there are about 500 left in the world. And during the summer of 2017 - so far - 10 of them have been found dead in the Gulf of St. Lawrence along the eastern coast of Canada. They tend to dive deep to feed and resurface 20 minutes later. And this characteristic may be the reason for the most recent slew of deaths. Preliminary findings in the investigation suggest that, even if not cause of death, at least 2 of the whales likely collided with a ship at some point.