Federal authorities recently announced the distressing news of a second critically endangered North Atlantic right whale found dead in the last month. The unfortunate discovery revealed injuries consistent with a collision with a ship, posing a significant threat to a species that now numbers less than 360 individuals. The decline of North Atlantic right whales in recent years has raised concerns among conservationists and marine experts.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was alerted to a deceased right whale floating off the coast of Savannah, Georgia on February 13. A subsequent necropsy of the animal confirmed the presence of blunt force trauma, including fractures of the skull, indicative of a vessel strike as the cause of death. This tragic incident comes on the heels of another right whale found off Massachusetts that displayed signs of entanglement in fishing gear, highlighting the dual threats these majestic creatures face.
