An alarming discovery was made off the East Coast as a third endangered North Atlantic right whale was spotted entangled in fishing gear, further highlighting the threats faced by this species on the brink of extinction. With a population of fewer than 400 individuals, these whales are highly susceptible to ship collisions and entanglement in gear, putting their survival at risk.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that an aerial survey located an entangled whale approximately 60 miles east of the Outer Banks of North Carolina on December 16. Prior to this, two entangled right whales were found off Nantucket, Massachusetts, with one of them sustaining serious injuries that may prove fatal due to the entanglement.
