Northern Right Whale Calf Is Spotted in Pacific

The first northern right whale calf to be seen in the eastern North Pacific Ocean in perhaps a century was reported by the National Marine Fisheries Service on Friday.

Marine mammal specialists at the service called the sighting a cause for celebration.

“The North Pacific right whale population is in danger of extinction. A mother and calf embody hope for the whales,” said Jim Balsiger, regional administrator for the fisheries service in Alaska.

The northern right whale is the most endangered whale in the world, the agency said.

There is no reliable population estimate for that whale in the eastern North Pacific, and scientists have seen only a dozen or so in the area in recent years.

The calf was spotted Aug. 24.