The North Atlantic right whale is endangered due to threats from commercial whaling, ship collisions, fishing gear entanglements, habitat loss, pollution, and disease. A whale sanctuary was created with no ship traffic to provide the whales with a safe place to live. North Atlantic right whales have low reproduction rates, bearing only one calf at a time, and can live 70-100 years, contributing to their endangered status in the United States where they face these multiple threats.