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Story summary
- NOAA Fisheries confirmed 23 North Atlantic right-whale calves were born in 2026, the highest number since 2009.
- Twenty returning mothers had calved in 2021 or 2022, shortening the interval toward the normal three-to-four-year cycle.
- Four aircraft logged more than 1,400 flight hours while three vessels performed health assessments and collected genetic samples.
- Sightings covered over a quarter of the population, a 29 % rise from last year, suggesting improved reproductive trends.
