World Whale Day (Feb. 21st), just fourteen calves offer hope for the survival of the North Atlantic right whale, a critically endangered species on the brink of extinction. Though the trend of this recent calving season is positive, the situation remains tenuous, given the recent tragic death of a calf reported just last week. This is according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare which has led a multi-lateral campaign across the US and Canada to restore this once thriving species since 2017. Once numbering in the tens of thousands, the species estimates now hover at only 360 total individuals, driven to scarcity primarily from incidental entanglement in commercial fishing gear and unintended vessel collisions. Ocean noise is a third factor, also immensely harmful to the species.