Catspaw is a female North Atlantic right whale. Thanks to the data collected in the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog, which is curated by the New England Aquarium, we have extensive knowledge of events in her life and her calving history.
She was first sighted and added to the catalog in 1986. She has scarring to suggest she had a minor entanglement sometime between 1988 and 2002. She has had three calves:
- In 2002, she gave birth to a female calf, catalog #33232.
- January 1, 2005, a New England Aquarium researcher witnessed the birth of a second calf, a male who was named Resolution, catalog #3532.
- In April of 2008, she gave birth to her third calf.
Researchers are eager to get a closer look at Catspaw's third calf to determine its gender either visually or with a genetic biopsy. Calves stay with their mother for about a year before breaking off on their own.
Whale Catalog #1632, Catspaw, with her second calf, #3532, male, named Resolution.
Taken January 5, 2005, four days after the calf was born. Photo: Jessica Taylor / NEAq