Entangled Young Whale Discovered Up North

Image credit to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

HYANNIS – Research scientists with the New England Aquarium reportedly spotted an entangled young North Atlantic right whale in Canada’s Gulf of St. Lawrence last Saturday.

They say rope was documented through the whale’s mouth and on other parts of its body. Disentanglement efforts are underway.

Aquarium scientists identified the yearling as the 2023 calf of “War”, a whale that was first seen in 1988. Her family has reportedly experienced at least nine entanglements and one vessel strike injury.

Amy Knowlton, senior scientist at the Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot center, said: “This latest case, which continues to be a chronic problem facing this species, highlights the critical need to maintain forward momentum on the implementation of modified fishing gear throughout their range in Canada and the U.S. in order to prevent these complex and potentially lethal entanglements from occurring.”