Another endangered right whale dies after a collision with a ship off the East Coast
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Another endangered right whale dies after a collision with a ship off the East Coast

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy An increasingly deadly year for the endangered North Atlantic right whale got worse this week when another member of the species was killed in a collision with a ship, federal authorities said Thursday. The most recent right whale to die was found floating 50 miles offshore east of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia Beach, Virginia, last Saturday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a news release. Preliminary findings of a necropsy show “catastrophic injuries with a dislocation of the whale’s spine” that “are consistent with blunt force trauma from a vessel strike prior to death,” the agency said Thursday. "The choice is simple: Vessels either slow down or the North Atlantic right whale goes extinct," said Sarah Sharp, an animal rescue veterinarian with International Fund for Animal Welfare who assisted in the necropsy.

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History of this topic

Tasmanian authorities begin euthanising stranded whales
1 month ago

Tasmanian authorities begin euthanising stranded whales

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Wildlife authorities in Tasmania have …

How ‘scientist’ whales are helping uncover the secrets of climate change
2 months, 3 weeks ago

How ‘scientist’ whales are helping uncover the secrets of climate change

Al Jazeera  

Southern right whales in South Africa are bouncing back. Hermanus, which is an important calving ground for southern right whales, and a good place to spot humpback and Bryde’s whales too, markets itself as the “land-based whale watching capital of the world”. And the southern right whale isn’t guaranteed a happy ending, stresses Vermeulen: “The whales are still only at …

Endangered whales found entangled in rope off Massachusetts, and 1 is likely to die
3 months, 1 week ago

Endangered whales found entangled in rope off Massachusetts, and 1 is likely to die

Associated Press  

Two endangered whales have been spotted entangled in fishing gear off Massachusetts, and one is likely to die from its injuries, the federal government said. NOAA said in a statement Tuesday that it would “work with authorized responders and trained experts to monitor the whales” and that it will “further document the entanglements and determine if entanglement responses will be …

New study finds ship collisions are top killer for whales
3 months, 2 weeks ago

New study finds ship collisions are top killer for whales

Salon  

All the mountains of stuff that we ship across the oceans comes at a price: whale blood. The scientists mapped and quantified movement for four globally distributed large whale species — the blue, fin, humpback and sperm whales — based on 435,000 locations and then related the data to global shipping activity. Climate change is likely to exacerbate the problem, …

Critically endangered whale species rebounds slightly
5 months ago

Critically endangered whale species rebounds slightly

Raw Story  

One of the world's rarest whale species has seen a slight population rebound, according to data released Tuesday, though experts warn it remains at serious risk of extinction. The number of North Atlantic right whales rose to 373 in 2023, up four percent from a recent low of 358 individuals in 2020, according to the latest estimates by scientists at …

One of the rarest species of whale in the world sees population increase
5 months ago

One of the rarest species of whale in the world sees population increase

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The researchers are members of the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, which is a longstanding collaboration between scientists, conservationists, …

Large whale group spotted off New England includes orca eating a tuna, dozens of endangered species
9 months, 1 week ago

Large whale group spotted off New England includes orca eating a tuna, dozens of endangered species

Associated Press  

A large number of whales visiting the waters off New England included an uncommon sighting of an orca eating a tuna and an unusually large group of an endangered species of whale, scientists said. The sightings do not necessarily represent 161 individual whales, because observers could be sighting the same animal more than once, said Teri Frady, the chief of …

Large number of whale sightings off New England, including dozens of endangered sei whales
9 months, 1 week ago

Large number of whale sightings off New England, including dozens of endangered sei whales

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A large number of whales …

Right whale is found entangled off New England in a devastating year for the vanishing species
11 months, 1 week ago

Right whale is found entangled off New England in a devastating year for the vanishing species

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Maine — A North Atlantic right whale has been spotted entangled in rope off New England, worsening an already devastating year for the vanishing animals, federal authorities said. “NOAA Fisheries and our partners will monitor this whale and attempt to respond to the entanglement, if possible, as weather and safety conditions allow.” Several right whales have died this year …

Right whale is found entangled off New England in a devastating year for the vanishing species
11 months, 1 week ago

Right whale is found entangled off New England in a devastating year for the vanishing species

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A North Atlantic right whale …

Another endangered right whale dies after a collision with a ship off the East Coast
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Another endangered right whale dies after a collision with a ship off the East Coast

Associated Press  

An increasingly deadly year for the endangered North Atlantic right whale got worse this week when another member of the species was killed in a collision with a ship, federal authorities said Thursday. The most recent right whale to die was found floating 50 miles offshore east of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia Beach, Virginia, last Saturday, the …

West Coast whale population recovers 5 years after hundreds washed up ashore
11 months, 3 weeks ago

West Coast whale population recovers 5 years after hundreds washed up ashore

Associated Press  

SEATTLE — Federal researchers indicate the gray whale population along the West Coast is showing signs of recovery five years after hundreds washed up dead on beaches from Alaska to Mexico. The agency has estimated the total number of eastern north Pacific Gray whales to be between 17,400 to 21,300, an increase from an estimated 13,200 to 15,960 whales last …

The gray whale die-off on West Coast is over, NOAA declares
1 year ago

The gray whale die-off on West Coast is over, NOAA declares

LA Times  

The Peterson family view the carcass of a gray whale found in the Bolsa Chica State Beach tidal inlet in Huntington Beach on Feb. 8. The “unusual mortality event” that led to hundreds of gray whale carcasses washing up on the West Coast shoreline has ended, researchers say. California Decaying gray whale washes up on Orange County beach The carcass …

First baby right whale of season dies from injuries caused by ship collision
1 year ago

First baby right whale of season dies from injuries caused by ship collision

Associated Press  

The first confirmed baby right whale of the year has been found dead from a collision with a ship, a devastating blow for the vanishing species. Federal authorities were notified of a dead right whale stranded off Georgia on Sunday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. Federal and state officials identified the whale as the injured calf of a …

Endangered right whale floating dead off Georgia is rare species' second fatality since January
1 year, 1 month ago

Endangered right whale floating dead off Georgia is rare species' second fatality since January

Hindustan Times  

SAVANNAH, Ga. — The carcass of a North Atlantic right whale found floating off the coast of Georgia marks the second known death in the past month for the critically endangered whale species. “It’s going to be challenge to determine the cause of death because it’s been so heavily predated and decayed,” Jones said The discovery came after another young …

Endangered right whale floating dead off Georgia is rare species’ second fatality since January
1 year, 1 month ago

Endangered right whale floating dead off Georgia is rare species’ second fatality since January

Associated Press  

SAVANNAH, Ga. — The carcass of a North Atlantic right whale found floating off the coast of Georgia marks the second known death in the past month for the critically endangered whale species. “It’s going to be challenge to determine the cause of death because it’s been so heavily predated and decayed,” Jones said The discovery came after another young …

Rare whale found dead off Massachusetts may have been entangled, authorities say
1 year, 1 month ago

Rare whale found dead off Massachusetts may have been entangled, authorities say

Associated Press  

A rare whale found dead off Massachusetts shows potential evidence of injury from entanglement in fishing gear, which is one of the most pressing threats to the vanishing species, federal authorities said. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it was notified about the dead female North Atlantic right whale on Sunday off Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. “Due to the animal’s …

Decline of rare right whale appears to be slowing, but scientists say big threats remain
1 year, 5 months ago

Decline of rare right whale appears to be slowing, but scientists say big threats remain

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Maine — The decline of one of the rarest whales in the world appears to be slowing, but scientists warn the giant mammals still face existential threats from warming oceans, ship collisions and entanglement in fishing gear. This suggests the population is potentially levelling off, as equal numbers of whales could be entering the population as are being killed, …

Decline of rare right whale appears to be slowing, but scientists say big threats remain
1 year, 5 months ago

Decline of rare right whale appears to be slowing, but scientists say big threats remain

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Environmental groups demand emergency rules to protect rare whales from ship collisions
1 year, 5 months ago

Environmental groups demand emergency rules to protect rare whales from ship collisions

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Maine — A coalition of environmental groups is calling on the federal government to enact emergency rules to protect a vanishing species of whale from lethal collisions with large ships. NOAA has yet to release a final updated speed rule despite proposing new rules more than a year ago, the environmental groups said. Federal officials can’t sit back and …

Vanishing whale’s decline worse than previously thought, feds say
1 year, 8 months ago

Vanishing whale’s decline worse than previously thought, feds say

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Maine — A review of the status of a vanishing species of whale found that the animal’s population is in worse shape than previously thought, federal ocean regulators said Monday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released new data that 114 of the whales have been documented as dead, seriously injured or sub-lethally injured or sick since the start …

Vanishing whale’s decline worse than previously thought, feds say
1 year, 8 months ago

Vanishing whale’s decline worse than previously thought, feds say

LA Times  

The North Atlantic right whale numbers less than 350, and it has been declining in population for several years. A review of the status of a vanishing species of whale found that the animal’s population is in worse shape than previously thought, federal ocean regulators said Monday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released new data that 114 of the …

Three endangered right whales shut down boat traffic in Cape Cod Canal
2 years ago

Three endangered right whales shut down boat traffic in Cape Cod Canal

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Three critically endangered right whales led to the closure of the Cape Cod Canal on …

Officials: Whale found dead in NJ likely struck by vessel
2 years, 2 months ago

Officials: Whale found dead in NJ likely struck by vessel

Associated Press  

BRIGANTINE, N.J. — Marine animal welfare officials say the most recent whale found dead on a New Jersey shoreline had apparently been struck by a vessel. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center said Sunday that preliminary results of a necropsy on the humpback whale that washed up Thursday on the North End Natural Area in Brigantine indicates that the animal had …

Feds: Vanishing right whale must remain on endangered list
2 years, 2 months ago

Feds: Vanishing right whale must remain on endangered list

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Maine — The fading North Atlantic right whale will remain protected under the Endangered Species Act, and the species requires a series of protective steps to stave off extinction, federal authorities said Tuesday. “There is also uncertainty regarding the effect of long-term sublethal entanglements, emerging environmental stressors including climate change, and the compounding effects of multiple continuous stressors that …

Endangered whale’s decline slows, but population falls again
2 years, 5 months ago

Endangered whale’s decline slows, but population falls again

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Maine — The decline of an endangered species of whale slowed last year, as it lost about 2% of its population, but scientists warn the animal still faces existential threats and is losing breeding females too fast. The North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, a group of scientists, government officials and industry members, said Monday that the population fell to …

Gray whale numbers along North America’s west coast down
2 years, 5 months ago

Gray whale numbers along North America’s west coast down

The Hindu  

The number of gray whales migrating along the Pacific Coast of North America has steadily declined by nearly 40% from a 2016 peak, and the population produced its fewest calves on record this year, according to U.S. research released on Friday. The 38% drop from the population's 2016 high of 27,000 whales to 16,650 this year resembles previous fluctuations but …

Ships must slow down more often to save whales, federal government says
2 years, 7 months ago

Ships must slow down more often to save whales, federal government says

LA Times  

An endangered North Atlantic right whale entangled in fishing rope is near a newborn calf on Dec. 2, 2021, in waters near Cumberland Island, Ga. “Changes to the existing vessel speed regulation are essential to stabilize the ongoing right whale population decline and prevent the species’ extinction,” state the proposed rules, slated to be published in the federal register. “The …

Weak protection for vanishing whale violates law, judge says
2 years, 8 months ago

Weak protection for vanishing whale violates law, judge says

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Maine — The federal government hasn’t done enough to protect a rare species of whale from lethal entanglement in lobster fishing gear, and new rules are needed to protect the species from extinction, a judge has ruled. The government has violated both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act by failing to protect the North Atlantic …

Weak protection for vanishing whale violates law, judge says
2 years, 8 months ago

Weak protection for vanishing whale violates law, judge says

LA Times  

An endangered North Atlantic right whale entangled in fishing rope on Dec. 2, 2021, with a newborn calf in waters near Cumberland Island, Ga. The federal government hasn’t done enough to protect a rare species of whale from lethal entanglement in lobster fishing gear, and new rules are needed to protect the species from extinction, a judge has ruled. The …

Whale entanglements drop, but remain major threat, feds say
2 years, 8 months ago

Whale entanglements drop, but remain major threat, feds say

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Maine — The number of whales entangled in fishing gear has declined recently, but the entanglements remain a critical threat to rare species, the federal government said in a report released Tuesday. Entanglement in fishing gear is one of the two biggest threats to declining species of whales, particularly North Atlantic right whales, which number less than 340 in …

New restrictions on ships to protect whales coming soon
2 years, 9 months ago

New restrictions on ships to protect whales coming soon

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Maine — Federal authorities spent the past few years analyzing rules for the shipping industry and are now close to releasing fresh guidelines to help protect a vanishing species of whale. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been reviewing the speed regulations it uses to protect North Atlantic right whales, and according to spokesperson Allison Ferreira, the agency …

Global whale shark population is plummeting because they are dying in collisions with ships
2 years, 10 months ago

Global whale shark population is plummeting because they are dying in collisions with ships

Daily Mail  

Shipping poses an increasingly 'significant threat' to the endangered whale shark, marine biologists have warned. Pictured is a whale shark that has been injured by a ship collision Whale shark numbers have been declining across the world in recent years but experts were bemused as to why Now scientists from the Marine Biological Association and the University of Southampton have …

Endangered whale population sinks close to 20-year low
3 years, 5 months ago

Endangered whale population sinks close to 20-year low

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Maine — A type of whale that is one of the rarest marine mammals in the world lost nearly 10% of its population last year, a group of scientists and ocean life advocates said on Monday. The North Atlantic right whale numbered only 366 in 2019, and its population fell to 336 in 2020, the North Atlantic Right Whale …

Population of North Atlantic right whales plummets due to climate crisis
3 years, 6 months ago

Population of North Atlantic right whales plummets due to climate crisis

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy North Atlantic right whales …

Speeding ships killing endangered North Atlantic right whales
3 years, 8 months ago

Speeding ships killing endangered North Atlantic right whales

Live Mint  

Most vessels are exceeding speed limits in areas designated to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, of which only around 360 remain, according to a report released earlier this week. Collisions with vessels are one of two leading causes of injury and death for North Atlantic right whales, with research showing that slowing vessel speeds to 10 knots reduces …

Humans causing North Atlantic right whales to shrink, study says
3 years, 9 months ago

Humans causing North Atlantic right whales to shrink, study says

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The enormous impact of humans on the world’s oceans – from commercial fishing to the …

Shrinking giants: North Atlantic right whales getting tinier
3 years, 9 months ago

Shrinking giants: North Atlantic right whales getting tinier

The Hindu  

One of the giants of the deep is shrinking before our eyes, a new study says. The younger generation of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales are on average about three feet shorter than whales were 20 years ago, drone and aircraft data show in a study in Thursday’s journal Current Biology. “This isn’t about ‘short’ right whales, it’s about …

Right Whales Are Shrinking In Numbers— New Study Shows They're Also Shrinking In Size
3 years, 9 months ago

Right Whales Are Shrinking In Numbers— New Study Shows They're Also Shrinking In Size

NPR  

Right Whales Are Shrinking In Numbers— New Study Shows They're Also Shrinking In Size North Atlantic right whales now grow about three feet shorter than they did 40 years ago. EVE ZUCKOFF, BYLINE: To find out how long and fat a North Atlantic right whale is without being overly invasive, scientists motor a few miles into Cape Cod Bay and …

‘It’s alarming’: 4 gray whales found dead on Bay Area beaches in 9 days
3 years, 11 months ago

‘It’s alarming’: 4 gray whales found dead on Bay Area beaches in 9 days

LA Times  

An adult female gray whale that washed up on California’s Muir Beach on Thursday is seen in a photo provided by the Marine Mammal Center. Four dead gray whales have washed ashore on San Francisco Bay Area beaches in the last nine days, with experts saying Friday one was struck by a ship. “It’s alarming to respond to four dead …

Undoing Trump's threat to endangered North American right whales
4 years ago

Undoing Trump's threat to endangered North American right whales

Raw Story  

Trump's National Marine Fisheries Service was regulating right whales toward extinction as the whales literally starved to death while entangled in fishing gear. At the height of the lobster season, right whales have to navigate through more than 900,000 ropes that connect surface buoys to traps on the seafloor. In Trump's last days in office, NOAA published a draft opinion …

Rules planned to save right whales loom over lobster fishers
4 years, 1 month ago

Rules planned to save right whales loom over lobster fishers

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy America s lobster fishery is …

Endangered baby right whale found dead on Florida beach
4 years, 1 month ago

Endangered baby right whale found dead on Florida beach

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The plight of endangered right …

Animation shows week in life of blue whale as it tries to avoid fishing ship congestion
4 years, 1 month ago

Animation shows week in life of blue whale as it tries to avoid fishing ship congestion

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The whales’ movements were then reviewed and visualised to pinpoint “priority areas for blue whale …

Report: Speed compliance to save rare whales could be better
4 years, 2 months ago

Report: Speed compliance to save rare whales could be better

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Compliance with speed rules designed …

Gray whale population drops by quarter off U.S. West Coast
4 years, 2 months ago

Gray whale population drops by quarter off U.S. West Coast

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Researchers say the population of …

Nearly 100 whales die after mass stranding in New Zealand
4 years, 4 months ago

Nearly 100 whales die after mass stranding in New Zealand

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A mass stranding on the …

‘Abnormal’ spike in fin whales washed up on French shores
4 years, 4 months ago

‘Abnormal’ spike in fin whales washed up on French shores

Al Jazeera  

Experts are investigating the cetaceans’ cause of death after no apparent sign of having been hit by a ship or caught in a trawler’s net. An abnormal number of fin whales has been found washed up on France’s western shores with no apparent sign of external collision, raising concerns among experts of a potential viral pathogen. Just in the past …

Only 366 North Atlantic right whales remain: NOAA
4 years, 4 months ago

Only 366 North Atlantic right whales remain: NOAA

The Hindu  

The population of North Atlantic right whales, an endangered species that has been the focus of conservation efforts for decades, has dipped to less than 370, officials said. The whale numbers at only 366, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday in an estimate that reflects the population as of January 2019. A NOAA team is working on a …

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