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Researchers say that critically endangered North Atlantic right whales are feeding closer to the ocean’s surface at night, increasing their risk of being struck by boats.
HALIFAX — Researchers say that critically endangered North Atlantic right whales are feeding closer to the ocean’s surface at night, increasing their risk of being struck by boats.
A recent study out of Dalhousie University in Halifax documented nighttime surface feeding in North Atlantic right whales, providing new evidence that could be used to prevent deadly collisions between the whales and vessels. The paper’s lead author, Jay Kirkham, says the research team tagged 23 right whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and used video footage from the tags along with a machine-learning algorithm to recognize when the whales were feeding at night.
Kirkham says the data revealed that whales are feeding within the same depth as large vessels at night, increasing the risk of collision. He says collisions with vessels and entanglements in fishing gear are the leading causes of death in the population, which is estimated to be approximately 384 whales. Transport Canada and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans currently oversee protection measures for the population, including enforcing vessel exclusion zones, speed limits and seasonal fishing closures.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2026. The Canadian Press
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