Entangled North Atlantic right whale likely to die

An entangled and endangered North Atlantic right whale off the coast of Massachusetts is likely to die, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The American group says an aerial survey spotted two entangled whales roughly 80 kilometres southeast of Nantucket on Dec. 9.

The juvenile male whale, which was first seen as a calf in 2021, has a thick line across its head and another across its back. Biologists reviewed the entanglement and determined it meets the criteria of a serious injury case, meaning the whale is likely to die.

The adult female whale, which was first spotted as a calf in 2011, has two lines exiting the left side of her mouth. Biologists believe this entanglement is a sublethal injury.

A North Atlantic right whale was documented with two lines exiting the left side of the mouth on December 9, 2024. (Source: NOAA Fisheries, taken under permit #27066)

“Entanglement response teams did not mount a response after the initial sighting because of the time of day and the distance of the whales from shore,” a release from NOAA says. “However, as conditions permit, we will work with authorized responders and trained experts to monitor the whales. We will further document the entanglements and determine if entanglement responses will be possible.”

In October, the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium estimated there are 372 remaining right whales.