Dec. 4, 2025
Northern Right Whale Hope Story: Why the Population Finally Rose and What It Means Next
Northern Right Whale crisis: For years, scientists and advocates have watched this critically endangered species decline due to ship strikes, fishing gear entanglement, and rapid ocean change. This episode asks a crucial question: Does the first population increase in years signal real recovery or just a temporary pause in a long-term crisis, and what must change now to keep that number rising?
Whale conservation stories: Oceana campaigner Nora Ives brings clear insights into how monitoring efforts and shifting whale behavior shape our understanding of their future. She explains how storytelling has become a powerful tool for connecting people with an animal most will never see in person. She also shares a moving moment from the field, the unexpected birth of a calf from an older mother, a surprising and emotional reminder that hope can appear when least expected.
Oceana advocacy: The episode explores vessel slowdowns, fishing gear solutions, and the policy gaps that still threaten these whales. Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of what is working and what is urgently missing from the conservation conversation.
Help fund a new seagrass podcast: https://www.speakupforblue.com/seagrass
Join the Undertow: https://www.speakupforblue.com/jointheundertow
Connect with Speak Up For Blue
Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@speakupforblue
Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc
YouTube: www.speakupforblue.com/youtube
Transcript
1
00:00:00,049 --> 00:00:03,019
The North Atlantic right whale is one
of the largest whales on the planet
2
00:00:03,019 --> 00:00:05,870
with only 384 individuals left.
3
00:00:06,023 --> 00:00:09,773
But this year, for the first time
ever, their population didn't drop.
4
00:00:09,803 --> 00:00:11,273
It actually went up slightly.
5
00:00:11,426 --> 00:00:15,416
It's a small glimmer of hope for
these species pushed to the edge by
6
00:00:15,416 --> 00:00:18,896
ship strikes, fishing entanglement,
and a rapidly changing ocean.
7
00:00:19,256 --> 00:00:23,036
So what's actually working and what
still needs to change is what we're gonna
8
00:00:23,036 --> 00:00:26,426
be talking about on today's episode of
the How to Protect the Ocean Podcast.
9
00:00:26,606 --> 00:00:27,246
Let's start the show.
10
00:00:29,786 --> 00:00:30,266
Hey everybody.
11
00:00:30,266 --> 00:00:33,416
Welcome back to another exciting episode
of the How to Protect the Ocean Podcast.
12
00:00:33,416 --> 00:00:35,756
I'm your host, Andrew Lewin, and
this is the podcast where you find
13
00:00:35,756 --> 00:00:38,276
out what's happening with the ocean,
how you can speak up for the ocean,
14
00:00:38,276 --> 00:00:41,996
and what you can do to live for
a better ocean by taking action.
15
00:00:42,206 --> 00:00:45,656
On today's episode, we're gonna be talking
about the North Atlantic right whale.
16
00:00:45,656 --> 00:00:49,286
I know we talked a little bit about it
the other day when we talked about their
17
00:00:49,286 --> 00:00:51,716
slight increase in population numbers.
18
00:00:51,716 --> 00:00:52,986
I want to get to the bottom of it.
19
00:00:52,986 --> 00:00:56,676
I want to find out if this true, this
number is truly something to hope for
20
00:00:56,676 --> 00:01:00,456
a 2% increase, or is it something that
we still need to be cautious about?
21
00:01:00,456 --> 00:01:05,680
So I invited Nora Ives from Oceana to come
on the podcast to talk about her campaign
22
00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:07,570
work about the North Atlantic right whale.
23
00:01:07,570 --> 00:01:11,560
She's a storyteller, she's an
educator, she's a scientist, and
24
00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:13,090
she's a campaigner for Oceana.
25
00:01:13,090 --> 00:01:16,030
And she's here to talk all about
the North Atlantic white whale.
26
00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:19,920
What we should be looking out for
and what we need to know so that we
27
00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:22,020
can better protect these animals.
28
00:01:22,020 --> 00:01:24,360
We're gonna find that
out all on this episode.
29
00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:28,320
Before we do, I just want to remind you, I
am putting out a campaign, a crowdfunding
30
00:01:28,320 --> 00:01:32,380
campaign to start another podcast in the
podcast network for Speak up for Blue.
31
00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:35,710
This podcast is part of this
network about seagrasses.
32
00:01:35,710 --> 00:01:37,930
I know we're talking about whales,
but we're also talking about another
33
00:01:37,930 --> 00:01:41,710
productive habitat called seagrasses,
and it's called the sea grass effect.
34
00:01:41,710 --> 00:01:44,830
I wanna put it out because we
need to not only bring research,
35
00:01:44,830 --> 00:01:47,720
restoration efforts, and conservation
efforts together for the sea grass
36
00:01:48,128 --> 00:01:53,558
world and for seagrass research, but we
also need to have restoration efforts.
37
00:01:53,558 --> 00:01:57,098
And by contributing to this campaign,
not only are you going to be contributing
38
00:01:57,098 --> 00:02:00,488
to information sharing across the
world, but you're also gonna be
39
00:02:00,488 --> 00:02:04,658
contributing to a restoration for a
particular site of seagrass that's being
40
00:02:04,658 --> 00:02:06,188
restored somewhere around the world.
41
00:02:06,188 --> 00:02:07,088
We're gonna document it.
42
00:02:07,088 --> 00:02:08,148
We're gonna talk about it.
43
00:02:08,225 --> 00:02:10,715
It's gonna be amazing and I
can't wait for you to find out.
44
00:02:10,715 --> 00:02:14,225
So if you go to speak up for
blue.com/seagrass, you can
45
00:02:14,225 --> 00:02:15,395
contribute to that campaign.
46
00:02:15,471 --> 00:02:19,221
We're on the Balean platform,
which is a new platform that is
47
00:02:19,221 --> 00:02:22,761
spurring ocean projects, independent
ocean projects that are going on
48
00:02:22,835 --> 00:02:25,895
just like this Seagrass Effect
podcast that I wanna start.
49
00:02:26,015 --> 00:02:28,475
So go to speak up for blue.com/seagrass.
50
00:02:28,475 --> 00:02:30,725
Take a look at other projects
after you donate to mine.
51
00:02:30,791 --> 00:02:33,461
Now here's the interview with Nora
Ives from Oceana, talking about
52
00:02:33,461 --> 00:02:34,601
the North Atlantic right whale.
53
00:02:34,751 --> 00:02:36,551
Enjoy, and I'll talk to you after.
54
00:02:37,061 --> 00:02:39,701
Thank you, Nora, for joining us
on today's episode of the How
55
00:02:39,701 --> 00:02:40,691
to Protect the Ocean Podcast.
56
00:02:40,691 --> 00:02:42,125
It was great to have you on the podcast.
57
00:02:42,201 --> 00:02:46,581
I just love to hear people's stories about
how they came to where they are right now.
58
00:02:46,581 --> 00:02:51,231
And Nora's story is just a unique one
that we not necessarily have seen that
59
00:02:51,231 --> 00:02:55,571
particular path, but we've seen similar
path of just kind of meandering through
60
00:02:55,571 --> 00:02:58,931
the life and being able to find something
that you really want to fight for.
61
00:02:59,008 --> 00:03:01,708
And Nora has found that in these
North Atlantic right whales, not
62
00:03:01,708 --> 00:03:04,431
only is she finding it from a
scientific point of view, but also
63
00:03:04,431 --> 00:03:05,691
from a storytelling point of view.
64
00:03:05,691 --> 00:03:08,331
There's a lot of stories that we can
tell, and with monitoring efforts that
65
00:03:08,331 --> 00:03:11,961
have happened and the ability to connect
people with storytelling and these
66
00:03:11,961 --> 00:03:17,253
whales is just an amazing addition to the
weaponry I guess we have for conservation.
67
00:03:17,333 --> 00:03:21,293
And I think it's something that is
needed when we talk about conservation
68
00:03:21,293 --> 00:03:23,783
and we talk about humanizing in a way
69
00:03:24,013 --> 00:03:28,813
for humans to connect with these whales
and to hear about ship strikes, to hear
70
00:03:28,813 --> 00:03:33,193
about whale entanglements, but also to
hear about some of the amazing feats and
71
00:03:33,193 --> 00:03:36,583
distribution of like two individuals,
as she mentioned, and then the other
72
00:03:36,583 --> 00:03:39,863
of like seeing a calf after, you know,
a mother about seven or eight that's
73
00:03:39,863 --> 00:03:42,166
older, having a calf after a long time.
74
00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,450
We're seeing those stories come to
life through Nora's storytelling,
75
00:03:45,450 --> 00:03:46,740
and I just think that's wonderful.
76
00:03:46,740 --> 00:03:49,470
So I can't wait to have Nora
back on the podcast to talk about
77
00:03:49,470 --> 00:03:50,510
North Atlantic right Whales.
78
00:03:50,590 --> 00:03:53,500
And I would love to hear your comments
and your questions about that.
79
00:03:53,500 --> 00:03:56,080
Just let me know in the comments below
if you're watching this on YouTube.
80
00:03:56,146 --> 00:03:58,966
If you're listening to this episode
on your favorite podcast app,
81
00:03:58,966 --> 00:03:59,566
thank you so much.
82
00:03:59,566 --> 00:04:00,286
That's where we started.
83
00:04:00,286 --> 00:04:02,146
We're gonna always
continue with the podcast.
84
00:04:02,146 --> 00:04:03,420
I mean, this is a podcast.
85
00:04:03,503 --> 00:04:06,953
We have a video podcast as well with
the YouTube channel, but the audio
86
00:04:06,953 --> 00:04:08,513
podcast is always where it's at.
87
00:04:08,513 --> 00:04:11,813
It's always my roots, and I
love talking on this microphone
88
00:04:12,113 --> 00:04:13,373
through audio, through video.
89
00:04:13,373 --> 00:04:14,363
It doesn't really matter.
90
00:04:14,443 --> 00:04:15,883
This is something that's always important.
91
00:04:15,883 --> 00:04:17,233
We need to connect with everybody.
92
00:04:17,233 --> 00:04:20,623
So if you're listening to this on your
favorite podcast app, you can reach me by
93
00:04:20,623 --> 00:04:24,706
going to Instagram at how to protect the
ocean that's at How to protect the ocean.
94
00:04:24,786 --> 00:04:28,270
And of course, you can go to
speak up for blue.com/contact.
95
00:04:28,346 --> 00:04:30,056
Fill out the form and
go straight to my email.
96
00:04:30,056 --> 00:04:31,796
There's so many ways to
connect with me online.
97
00:04:31,873 --> 00:04:32,983
I encourage you to do all of it.
98
00:04:32,983 --> 00:04:34,873
I'll put all the connections
in the show notes.
99
00:04:34,873 --> 00:04:38,743
I wanna thank you so much for joining me
and thanking Nora for joining us on this
100
00:04:38,743 --> 00:04:42,103
episode and thanking you for listening
and sharing this episode if you think
101
00:04:42,103 --> 00:04:43,630
this is really important to share.
102
00:04:43,706 --> 00:04:46,226
And thank you so much for joining
us on today's episode of the How
103
00:04:46,226 --> 00:04:47,426
to Protect the Ocean Podcast.
104
00:04:47,503 --> 00:04:49,933
I'm your host, Andrew Lewin from
the True Nord Strong and free.
105
00:04:49,933 --> 00:04:50,533
Have a great day.
106
00:04:50,533 --> 00:04:52,663
We'll talk to you next time
and happy conservation.
00:00:00,049 --> 00:00:03,019
The North Atlantic right whale is one
of the largest whales on the planet
2
00:00:03,019 --> 00:00:05,870
with only 384 individuals left.
3
00:00:06,023 --> 00:00:09,773
But this year, for the first time
ever, their population didn't drop.
4
00:00:09,803 --> 00:00:11,273
It actually went up slightly.
5
00:00:11,426 --> 00:00:15,416
It's a small glimmer of hope for
these species pushed to the edge by
6
00:00:15,416 --> 00:00:18,896
ship strikes, fishing entanglement,
and a rapidly changing ocean.
7
00:00:19,256 --> 00:00:23,036
So what's actually working and what
still needs to change is what we're gonna
8
00:00:23,036 --> 00:00:26,426
be talking about on today's episode of
the How to Protect the Ocean Podcast.
9
00:00:26,606 --> 00:00:27,246
Let's start the show.
10
00:00:29,786 --> 00:00:30,266
Hey everybody.
11
00:00:30,266 --> 00:00:33,416
Welcome back to another exciting episode
of the How to Protect the Ocean Podcast.
12
00:00:33,416 --> 00:00:35,756
I'm your host, Andrew Lewin, and
this is the podcast where you find
13
00:00:35,756 --> 00:00:38,276
out what's happening with the ocean,
how you can speak up for the ocean,
14
00:00:38,276 --> 00:00:41,996
and what you can do to live for
a better ocean by taking action.
15
00:00:42,206 --> 00:00:45,656
On today's episode, we're gonna be talking
about the North Atlantic right whale.
16
00:00:45,656 --> 00:00:49,286
I know we talked a little bit about it
the other day when we talked about their
17
00:00:49,286 --> 00:00:51,716
slight increase in population numbers.
18
00:00:51,716 --> 00:00:52,986
I want to get to the bottom of it.
19
00:00:52,986 --> 00:00:56,676
I want to find out if this true, this
number is truly something to hope for
20
00:00:56,676 --> 00:01:00,456
a 2% increase, or is it something that
we still need to be cautious about?
21
00:01:00,456 --> 00:01:05,680
So I invited Nora Ives from Oceana to come
on the podcast to talk about her campaign
22
00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:07,570
work about the North Atlantic right whale.
23
00:01:07,570 --> 00:01:11,560
She's a storyteller, she's an
educator, she's a scientist, and
24
00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:13,090
she's a campaigner for Oceana.
25
00:01:13,090 --> 00:01:16,030
And she's here to talk all about
the North Atlantic white whale.
26
00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:19,920
What we should be looking out for
and what we need to know so that we
27
00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:22,020
can better protect these animals.
28
00:01:22,020 --> 00:01:24,360
We're gonna find that
out all on this episode.
29
00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:28,320
Before we do, I just want to remind you, I
am putting out a campaign, a crowdfunding
30
00:01:28,320 --> 00:01:32,380
campaign to start another podcast in the
podcast network for Speak up for Blue.
31
00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:35,710
This podcast is part of this
network about seagrasses.
32
00:01:35,710 --> 00:01:37,930
I know we're talking about whales,
but we're also talking about another
33
00:01:37,930 --> 00:01:41,710
productive habitat called seagrasses,
and it's called the sea grass effect.
34
00:01:41,710 --> 00:01:44,830
I wanna put it out because we
need to not only bring research,
35
00:01:44,830 --> 00:01:47,720
restoration efforts, and conservation
efforts together for the sea grass
36
00:01:48,128 --> 00:01:53,558
world and for seagrass research, but we
also need to have restoration efforts.
37
00:01:53,558 --> 00:01:57,098
And by contributing to this campaign,
not only are you going to be contributing
38
00:01:57,098 --> 00:02:00,488
to information sharing across the
world, but you're also gonna be
39
00:02:00,488 --> 00:02:04,658
contributing to a restoration for a
particular site of seagrass that's being
40
00:02:04,658 --> 00:02:06,188
restored somewhere around the world.
41
00:02:06,188 --> 00:02:07,088
We're gonna document it.
42
00:02:07,088 --> 00:02:08,148
We're gonna talk about it.
43
00:02:08,225 --> 00:02:10,715
It's gonna be amazing and I
can't wait for you to find out.
44
00:02:10,715 --> 00:02:14,225
So if you go to speak up for
blue.com/seagrass, you can
45
00:02:14,225 --> 00:02:15,395
contribute to that campaign.
46
00:02:15,471 --> 00:02:19,221
We're on the Balean platform,
which is a new platform that is
47
00:02:19,221 --> 00:02:22,761
spurring ocean projects, independent
ocean projects that are going on
48
00:02:22,835 --> 00:02:25,895
just like this Seagrass Effect
podcast that I wanna start.
49
00:02:26,015 --> 00:02:28,475
So go to speak up for blue.com/seagrass.
50
00:02:28,475 --> 00:02:30,725
Take a look at other projects
after you donate to mine.
51
00:02:30,791 --> 00:02:33,461
Now here's the interview with Nora
Ives from Oceana, talking about
52
00:02:33,461 --> 00:02:34,601
the North Atlantic right whale.
53
00:02:34,751 --> 00:02:36,551
Enjoy, and I'll talk to you after.
54
00:02:37,061 --> 00:02:39,701
Thank you, Nora, for joining us
on today's episode of the How
55
00:02:39,701 --> 00:02:40,691
to Protect the Ocean Podcast.
56
00:02:40,691 --> 00:02:42,125
It was great to have you on the podcast.
57
00:02:42,201 --> 00:02:46,581
I just love to hear people's stories about
how they came to where they are right now.
58
00:02:46,581 --> 00:02:51,231
And Nora's story is just a unique one
that we not necessarily have seen that
59
00:02:51,231 --> 00:02:55,571
particular path, but we've seen similar
path of just kind of meandering through
60
00:02:55,571 --> 00:02:58,931
the life and being able to find something
that you really want to fight for.
61
00:02:59,008 --> 00:03:01,708
And Nora has found that in these
North Atlantic right whales, not
62
00:03:01,708 --> 00:03:04,431
only is she finding it from a
scientific point of view, but also
63
00:03:04,431 --> 00:03:05,691
from a storytelling point of view.
64
00:03:05,691 --> 00:03:08,331
There's a lot of stories that we can
tell, and with monitoring efforts that
65
00:03:08,331 --> 00:03:11,961
have happened and the ability to connect
people with storytelling and these
66
00:03:11,961 --> 00:03:17,253
whales is just an amazing addition to the
weaponry I guess we have for conservation.
67
00:03:17,333 --> 00:03:21,293
And I think it's something that is
needed when we talk about conservation
68
00:03:21,293 --> 00:03:23,783
and we talk about humanizing in a way
69
00:03:24,013 --> 00:03:28,813
for humans to connect with these whales
and to hear about ship strikes, to hear
70
00:03:28,813 --> 00:03:33,193
about whale entanglements, but also to
hear about some of the amazing feats and
71
00:03:33,193 --> 00:03:36,583
distribution of like two individuals,
as she mentioned, and then the other
72
00:03:36,583 --> 00:03:39,863
of like seeing a calf after, you know,
a mother about seven or eight that's
73
00:03:39,863 --> 00:03:42,166
older, having a calf after a long time.
74
00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,450
We're seeing those stories come to
life through Nora's storytelling,
75
00:03:45,450 --> 00:03:46,740
and I just think that's wonderful.
76
00:03:46,740 --> 00:03:49,470
So I can't wait to have Nora
back on the podcast to talk about
77
00:03:49,470 --> 00:03:50,510
North Atlantic right Whales.
78
00:03:50,590 --> 00:03:53,500
And I would love to hear your comments
and your questions about that.
79
00:03:53,500 --> 00:03:56,080
Just let me know in the comments below
if you're watching this on YouTube.
80
00:03:56,146 --> 00:03:58,966
If you're listening to this episode
on your favorite podcast app,
81
00:03:58,966 --> 00:03:59,566
thank you so much.
82
00:03:59,566 --> 00:04:00,286
That's where we started.
83
00:04:00,286 --> 00:04:02,146
We're gonna always
continue with the podcast.
84
00:04:02,146 --> 00:04:03,420
I mean, this is a podcast.
85
00:04:03,503 --> 00:04:06,953
We have a video podcast as well with
the YouTube channel, but the audio
86
00:04:06,953 --> 00:04:08,513
podcast is always where it's at.
87
00:04:08,513 --> 00:04:11,813
It's always my roots, and I
love talking on this microphone
88
00:04:12,113 --> 00:04:13,373
through audio, through video.
89
00:04:13,373 --> 00:04:14,363
It doesn't really matter.
90
00:04:14,443 --> 00:04:15,883
This is something that's always important.
91
00:04:15,883 --> 00:04:17,233
We need to connect with everybody.
92
00:04:17,233 --> 00:04:20,623
So if you're listening to this on your
favorite podcast app, you can reach me by
93
00:04:20,623 --> 00:04:24,706
going to Instagram at how to protect the
ocean that's at How to protect the ocean.
94
00:04:24,786 --> 00:04:28,270
And of course, you can go to
speak up for blue.com/contact.
95
00:04:28,346 --> 00:04:30,056
Fill out the form and
go straight to my email.
96
00:04:30,056 --> 00:04:31,796
There's so many ways to
connect with me online.
97
00:04:31,873 --> 00:04:32,983
I encourage you to do all of it.
98
00:04:32,983 --> 00:04:34,873
I'll put all the connections
in the show notes.
99
00:04:34,873 --> 00:04:38,743
I wanna thank you so much for joining me
and thanking Nora for joining us on this
100
00:04:38,743 --> 00:04:42,103
episode and thanking you for listening
and sharing this episode if you think
101
00:04:42,103 --> 00:04:43,630
this is really important to share.
102
00:04:43,706 --> 00:04:46,226
And thank you so much for joining
us on today's episode of the How
103
00:04:46,226 --> 00:04:47,426
to Protect the Ocean Podcast.
104
00:04:47,503 --> 00:04:49,933
I'm your host, Andrew Lewin from
the True Nord Strong and free.
105
00:04:49,933 --> 00:04:50,533
Have a great day.
106
00:04:50,533 --> 00:04:52,663
We'll talk to you next time
and happy conservation.
