An endangered North Atlantic right whale was found dead offshore near Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, marking the 40th death in the ongoing “unusual mortality event” impacting the species.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported the death Tuesday, but the carcass was found Saturday by a company conducting Mid-Atlantic whale surveys for the Navy. The whale, identified as female #1950, was seen floating about 50 miles offshore from the refuge.
The whale’s corpse had been partially eaten by sharks, and wind and other weather conditions made bringing her carcass to shore challenging. NOAA and its partners have towed the whale to the shore for a necropsy.
Whale #1950 is a recent mother, giving birth to her sixth calf this winter, and NOAA reports that her first sighting was in 1989. Her baby was not seen near her carcass. Her calf is considered a “seriously injured dependent calf” due to the death of its mother. According to Whale and Dolphin Conservation, a nonprofit that focuses on the longevity of whale and dolphin species, the calf will likely not survive without its mother.
At this time, a cause of death for the whale is not available, and the investigation into her death is ongoing. She was last spotted on Jan. 11 off St. Simons Sound in Georgia.
“The loss of yet another breeding female, especially one with a young calf, is heartbreaking,” said Catherine Kilduff, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “We’re seeing death after death, but the federal government is doing next to nothing and ignoring its legal obligation to protect right whales.”
This death marks the sixth whale death to be spotted off the coast of Hampton Roads and the Outer Banks. In March, five whales were spotted within just days of each other, prompting necropsies on local beaches.
Sarah Sharp, Animal Rescue Veterinarian with the International Fund for Animal Welfare, is assisting NOAA with determining the cause of death of the right whale. She said the death of the mother is “tragic and seals the fate of her dependent three-month old calf.”
“We will work together as part of the multiagency team to determine the cause of death for this new mother,” Sharp said. “To lose not just one but two whales in a single instance is a major blow to this already struggling population.”
Story by Eliza Noe, The Virginian-Pilot.
