Aerial observers spot a newly entangled North Atlantic right whale — only about 380 remain

A young North Atlantic right whale that was seen near Massachusetts about two months ago is now at the center of a difficult rescue effort after being spotted with fishing gear tangled in its mouth in Canadian waters.

With the population down to roughly 380 whales, one more entanglement matters.

What happened?

Fisheries and Oceans Canada took to social media to reveal that a June 8 aerial survey located the 5-year-old male in the Gulf of St. Lawrence near Shippagan, New Brunswick. The New England Aquarium reported that rope was caught in the whale's mouth and trailing behind him.

The whale, known as Catalog #5192, had previously been seen without gear in Cape Cod Bay in April.

According to CBS News, the New England Aquarium said the whale was seen gear-free on April 21 before the more recent sighting in Canada.

"The whale's behavior, wounds, and rope-rubbing marks indicate a very recent entanglement,"  the aquarium said.

Canadian officials said that if the whale is spotted again and weather conditions cooperate, rescuers will try to remove the gear. So far, the Canadian Whale Institute has said poor weather has complicated the search. If the whale is found again, responders plan to place a satellite tag on the line to track it before a possible rescue, according to the Canadian Whale Institute.

Why does it matter?

Much of the pressure on North Atlantic right whales comes from two threats scientists identify as leading causes of death: fishing gear entanglements and vessel strikes.

The New England Aquarium says more than 86% of right whales will be entangled at least once during their lives.

Senior scientist Heather Pettis also captured the frustration many conservationists feel: "It is always disheartening to hear the news of another entangled right whale, and Catalog #5192 is no different. As it appears this is a relatively recent entanglement, we are hopeful that rescue teams will be able to safely disentangle him so that the impacts of the event are minimized."

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