PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 21, 2025
The number of North Atlantic right whales increased slightly last year, continuing a four-year trend of slow growth that indicates the critically endangered species is heading in the right direction. The estimated population increased from 376 in 2023 to 384 in 2024, based on a yearly update announced Tuesday by the scientists, regulators, and shipping and fishing representatives who make up the consortium. The slight increase leaves consortium chair Heather Pettis, who runs the right whale research program at New England Aquarium, cautiously optimistic even though the right whale remains the most endangered whale species on the planet.