It was a sad day for the whale community.
On the coast of South Carolina, another critically endangered North Atlantic right whale was found dead. Over four months ago, this specific whale was spotted entangled in fishing gear.
The National Marine Fisheries Service confirmed that the whale was found dead just 15 miles offshore from Myrtle Beach. This has been the third recorded right whale death since their calving season began in November off the southern East Coast.
The whale found dead was an 11-year-old male that had been sighted back in October in Nantucket, Massachusetts, with a fishing line caught in its mouth and extending past its tail. February of this year, they spotted this whale again in the same entangled and released a team of extra to help but was unsuccessful.
Experts worry this species is reaching extinction, with deaths outpacing births in recent years. It’s estimated that there are only 400 right whales still surviving.
The 2021 calving season has been the best yet in recent years, with 15 calves spotted so far — the most reported since 2015.
Calving season starts in November and goes through mid-April.
