How long can North Atlantic right whales live? Scientists may finally have an answer
The endangered right whales' median age at death is about 22. Southern right whales, a closely related species, generally live into their seventies. The difference? Southern whales aren’t facing entanglements in fishing gear and boat collisions at the same rate.
Whales can live way longer than scientists had thought
There are many other large whales, including blue, fin, sei, humpback, gray and sperm whales. Like bowhead and right whales, these were also almost wiped out by whaling. Scientists currently assume they live about 80 or 90 years, but that’s what we believed about bowhead and right whales until data proved they can live much longer.
Southern right whales can defy age, living beyond 150 years
Although southern right whales have always been thought to reach impressive ages, scientists originally estimated their lifespan to be around 70-80 years. However, the latest research indicates that they can live over 100 years.
Right Whales Can Live For Over 130 Years, Nearly Twice As Long As Previously Thought
The results revealed that while the median lifespan of Southern right whales is 73.4 years, 10 percent are capable of surviving past 131.8 years. That’s nearly double the 70 to 80-year limit that they were previously thought to have.
These endangered whales can live up to 150 years — twice as long as previously thought
Life expectancy prediction using data collected over four decades reveals southern right whales' exceptionally long lives — far longer than scientists previously thought.
How long do right whales live? Nearly twice as long as previously thought, study finds
Bowhead whales — cousins of right whales — can also live incredibly long lives, with some surviving for two centuries. As evidence for this, researchers have found 19th century harpoon tips embedded in bowheads killed during modern hunts.
Whales can live way longer than scientists thought, with potential lifespans as much as double previous estimates
Southern right whales have lifespans that reach well past 100 years, and 10% may live past 130 years, according to our new research published in the journal Science Advances. Some of these whales may live to 150.
Three North Atlantic right whales spotted entangled this month in U.S. waters
Three critically endangered North Atlantic right whales have been spotted entangled in fishing gear off the Eastern Seaboard ...
earth5d
Right whales live nearly twice as long as we thought
The data revealed that Southern right whales can live for more than 130 years, with some speculated to reach the ripe old age ...
2 entangled right whales spotted off coast of Massachusetts
A survey team said a thick rope was located over one whale’s head and back, which could cause its eventual death.
Study reveals right whales live 130 years—or more
New research published in Science Advances reveals that right whales can survive for more than 130 years—almost twice as long ...
Two endangered right whales seen entangled off Massachusetts; young male "likely to die"
Entangled right whales were seen off the coast of Massachusetts, and scientists say one of them is likely to die.
The Boston Globe9d
Two right whales entangled in lines spotted in waters off Nantucket, NOAA says
Two North Atlantic right whales entangled in lines were spotted in waters off Nantucket earlier this month, the National ...
Three endangered whales get tangled in fishing gear off East Coast in one week
The current population of the North Atlantic right whale stands at less than 400 as the species has grown increasingly ...
Smithsonian Magazine3d
Some Whales Live Much Longer Than Previously Thought, a Discovery That Could Change How We Protect Them
In a new study, researchers use novel techniques to uncover more accurate life expectancy estimates of southern and North ...