Right Whales Found to Live Over 130 Years, Doubling Previous Estimates
New research highlights stark lifespan disparities between Southern and North Atlantic right whales, with human impacts driving premature deaths in the latter.
- Southern right whales can live beyond 130 years, with some individuals potentially reaching 150, nearly double earlier lifespan estimates.
- Critically endangered North Atlantic right whales have an average lifespan of just 22 years, primarily due to human-caused threats like fishing gear entanglements and ship strikes.
- The study used decades of photo identification data to construct survivorship curves, revealing significant differences between the two closely related species.
- The loss of older whales disrupts the transfer of cultural and survival knowledge, impacting population recovery and resilience.
- Researchers suggest recovery of whale populations to pre-whaling levels could take over a century, emphasizing the need for long-term conservation strategies.
ScienceDaily 
The Conversation 