Rissa the Right Whale: Friends Helping Friends
Sneak Peek From Chapter 1 of the Fiction Story:
EXCERPT FROM STORY:
“Yikes! Incoming whale! Look out!” honks Sal to his friends, “Seals, move over! Hurry!” Sal takes a deep breath and slides to the edge of his huge rock. He wipes his forehead. “Phew! That was close!”
EXPLANATION:
This first adventure story begins with Rissa, a young whale, diving too close to large rocks where a herd of harbor seals lounges in the sun. Sal, the head of the harbor seals, and Rachel, Rissa's mom, quickly take charge. Find out what else happens as right whale calf Rissa goes about her summer days in the warm, salty sea.
STAY TUNED for a longer excerpt as we get closer to the book's release in spring 2020. The book is so engaging that, chances are, you will want to follow Rissa through this and other adventures.
AT LEFT: The top image is the cover mock-up for the book. The second photo shows two North Atlantic right whales, the most endangered of all whale species. The third photo depicts NOAA partners from Florida and Georgia, see caption for specifics, saving a right whale by disentangling it from shipping line. Once caught in line or rope, whales typically cannot get free by themselves.
What's Up With North Atlantic Right Whales in 2019?
Sadly, North Atlantic right whales are so few in number now, that they are an endangered species. In order to thrive and increase in numbers, they need human help. North Atlantic right whale population used to be hunted heavily in earlier centuries. Even though most hunting has stopped now and is banned almost everywhere in the world, the number of these beautiful animals is still too few. Scientists, organizations, and many fishermen and boaters work hard to help save these creatures.
In June 2019, though, six North Atlantic right whales died in or near the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is believed that at least one hit by a ship; Canada is now reinstuting its earlier laws for boats to reduce speed and for fishermen to restrict their activity in areas where these right whales are found. Right whale deaths are most often due to boat strikes and to entanglement in fishing gear. Hopefully, the new regulations will save the lives of whales and other marine animals.