Endangered 3-year-old creature dies after fishing gear restricts growth, officials say
Wildlife officials announced the cause of death of an endangered juvenile right whale that was found dead off the coast of Massachusetts in January.
Right whale #5120, a 3-year-old female, was found dead Jan. 28 near Joseph Sylvia State Beach on Martha’s Vineyard with rope embedded in her tail, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Scientists announced Oct. 2 that the whale died from chronic entanglement, or having fishing gear wrapped around a part of her body for a prolonged period causing serious injuries.
Officials first noticed #5120 was wrapped in fishing gear in 2022, reporting that she was “likely to die” from the injuries she’d sustain as she grew and the rope became more deeply embedded.
Poor weather conditions during various confirmed sightings of #5120 made disentanglement efforts impossible, officials said.
“North Atlantic right whales are approaching extinction with approximately 360 individuals remaining, including fewer than 70” actively reproductive females, NOAA said.
Scientists believe female right whales are having fewer calves and taking longer to have calves due to chronic entanglement, according to the NOAA website.
2022 Initial Entanglement Sighting
Canadian wildlife officials first noticed that #5120 was entangled in fishing line off the coast of New Brunswick in August 2022 when the calf was about 1.5 years old.
At that time, officials said the entanglement “resulted in a serious injury,” that would likely prove to be fatal as she aged.
“As the yearling grows, the entanglement is likely to cause increasing harm and eventual death as it constricts the tail and other areas of the whale’s body,” NOAA officials reported.
The female calf had about 200 feet of line trailing behind her, as well as two small buoys near her flukes, according to NOAA reports.
2023 Sightings
On Jan. 18, 2023, #5120 was spotted in Cape Cod Bay, feeding alongside 15 to 20 other right whales, officials said.
“Challenging weather conditions” prevented a response team from trying to remove the wrap that was still documented around its tail and flukes, according to NOAA.
The calf was spotted again in June 2023 off the coast of New Brunswick, at which point officials said her “condition had declined” and her wounds “appeared to be more severe.”
2024 Death
The dead whale reported on Jan. 28 was recovered from the water on Jan. 31, officials said.
More than 20 biologists from local, national and international organizations completed a necropsy in the following days and were able to officially identify the whale as #5120, officials said.
Samples of the rope were also collected and determined to be “consistent with the rope used in Maine state water trap/pot buoy lines,” NOAA officials said.
#5120 was the only known calf birthed by Squilla — #3720 — according to NOAA.
Officials said the investigation into the circumstances leading to #5120’s entanglement remains open.
This story was originally published October 4, 2024 at 7:41 AM with the headline "Endangered 3-year-old creature dies after fishing gear restricts growth, officials say."
