Editor's Note

Some of you may be wondering why there’s a right whale on the cover in June when they’re not here this time of year. There are two reasons. The first is to promote a documentary premiering in Savannah on July 12 about right whales, and the second is a gentle reminder that just because they’re out of sight, they shouldn’t be out of mind.

Georgian’s have long felt a kinship with right whales, who migrate to our coast every winter, even having the species declared our state marine mammal in 1985. This kinship has never been been relied on more heavily than it is right now. With only 336 of these animals left on the planet, they are literally on the verge of extinction and every single one of them is critical to the survival of their species. The loss of even one is devastating.

There are two things you can do this summer to help save these creatures: attend the documentary at the Lucas Theater in July, and download an app called WhaleAlert.

The documentary will provide insight into the lives and habits of right whales and help raise awareness about them. I’ve often said that in order to want to protect and conserve anything, you must first care about it, and caring about anything is fostered by understanding it. So go see the film, tell friends about it, share it on social media.

The WhaleAlert app is a must for all boaters and anyone who spends time on the water, either recreationally or commercially. These large animals often swim at or just below the surface making them difficult to see and at great risk for boat strikes. Not just large ships, but even small recreational boats can fatally injure adults and outright kill the calves. WhaleAlert allows anyone with the app to pinpoint the locations of whales they spot, alerting other vessels in the vicinity and potentially avoiding impacts and injuries. The more people who use the app, the more effective it becomes! It allows users to see real-time sightings of reported whales and can include photos. We’ve been tracking sharks for ages and I’m thrilled we can now track the whales we care so much about! www.whalealert.org

Two of the three biggest threats to right whales are entanglements in commercial fishing gear and boat strikes. Organizations in New England and Canada are working hard to remove the entanglement threat, and we on the southern end of their migration route need to be working equally hard to remove the threat of boat strikes. Get the app. Use it. It could be the easiest thing you ever do to save a life.

See you out there! Amy Thurman Editor in Chief amy@southerntidesmagazine.com

Catalog #3560, "Snow Cone" and calf were sighted about 10 nautical miles off Cumberland Island, Ga., on Dec. 2, 2021. Snow Cone was first seen entangled in commercial fishing gear in March 2021 in Cape Cod Bay. Several disentanglement efforts in the Northeast and Canada removed some of the rope, though she was still trailing two lines at the time of this photo. Photo provided by Florida FWC/taken under NOAA permit 20556