A North Atlantic right whale calf and mother sighting in Quebec is causing excitement in the cetologist community. Silt, the mother, was spotted off Anticosti Island in Quebec in September with a previously unidentified calf. Images of Silt’s sixth known calf were captured by Minigan Island Cetacean Study researchers on Sept. 25 and shared with the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Centre for Ocean Life. The organization manages the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalogue, a database that logs and analyzes whale sightings. “After weeks analyzing sighting data and comparing photos, the scientists determined that this was a new calf likely born during the 2025–2026 calving season that had gone unseen in winter surveys,” the aquarium said in a news release. Silt, the aquarium adds, is at least 38 years old and first spotted in 1988. She may have had more calves. “Silt was briefly seen in the southeastern U.S. calving grounds in February 2026, so it’s possible she had the calf there but snuck away before they were documented together. This is an exciting discovery for us so late in the year,” said Anderson Cabot Centre scientist Amy Warren. The mother whale, it seems, had been elusive since February and was not spotted from boat or aerial surveys in the spring or summer. “The fact that Silt managed to keep this calf away from the many, many, many survey efforts that were happening along the coast is both impressive and a little concerning, but hopefully that means she was keeping her calf away from the dangers in the ocean,” said Warren. The grandmother also has three documented grandchildren, as well as one great-grandchild born in 2026. “She has survived at least five fishing entanglement events, some leaving her with substantial scarring on her head and tail,” the aquarium said. “Her family has also experienced many injuries, and some have not been as lucky as Silt.” In 2022, one of her calves was entangled in a net and died. Her first calf also died after being struck by a boat, the aquarium adds. Cetologists and other marine scientists say they wish to document the new calf more, and hope it avoids some of the deadly hazards that killed his siblings. This year’s calving season produced 24 mother-calf pairs, which is the most in 17 years. “Generally speaking, it’s better than it was 40 years ago,” said Warren. “Not as good as it was 10 years ago... It’s been kind of flat for a few years in terms of numbers, which is neither good nor bad. We’ve been seeing a decline since 2010, and so the fact that we’re not still on that decline is promising, but we’d like to see more of an increase.” The critically endangered marine creature has an estimated population of 384. Canada’s recovery strategy for the species began in 2014 under the Species at Risk Act. It was listed as endangered in 2005. Other notable sightings With six offspring, Silt ranks fourth for having the most calves among mothers who gave birth in 2026. Thirty-year-old Tripelago, another whale mother, was also spotted with her sixth known calf in the past year in Carolina. Forty-four-year-old Slalom was spotted with her seventh known calf in Daytona Beach and Magic, also 44, and her seventh calf were seen by Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Georgia team. The Georgia team also spotted Juno, between 40 and 60 years old, with her ninth calf, and a Carolina team logged Mantis, also over 40 years old, with her eighth. North right whale facts
