After many hours scouring Cape Cod Bay, those aboard the Research Vessel Shearwater make their first sighting: three North Atlantic right whales, including a rare mother-calf pair. Not long after, a trio of marine biologists spring into action, reeling off photos and noting markings that can be used to identify individuals and track injuries -- a vital part of conservation efforts for a species that now numbers an estimated 336 members. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES