A female North Atlantic right whale was found dead on Sunday with a rope wrapped around it off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., a rare event that had scientists worrying about the future of the critically endangered species with about 360 remaining animals. The whale, thought to be a juvenile because of its size, had washed ashore Joseph Sylvia State Beach on the island’s northeastern coast with a rope tangled around its peduncle, the part that connects the tail fluke to the body, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a statement. “It’s devastating to hear about another loss to North Atlantic right whales,” said Gib Brogan, a campaign director at Oceana, an international conservation group based in Washington. “This death is even more troubling when it is a female calf that could have gone on to have many calves of her own for decades to come.”The death came during the four-month period that such whales give birth. So far, 16 calves have been born during the current season, Oceana said.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 30, 2024 14:45 UTC