In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the rescuers are trying to save two North Atlantic right whales caught in fishing gear. A 16-year old female whale was seen entangled off the coast of Massachusetts and the Campobello Whale Rescue team tried to save it for the second time on Thursday. Another whale has been discovered in the area as well. Just like the female, the other whale has been stuck in the net as well.
These whales are in grave danger as their kind has been brought near extinction. There are about 350 North Atlantic right whales in the world right now. Fishing nets and ship strikes have brought these creatures to the brink of extinction.
Mackie Greene, director of the Campobello Whale Rescue Program, stated:
“All kinds of males and only one female — you’re not going to reproduce much for the species. That’s why the females are so important to the survival of the right whales.”
Since 2019, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported 34 North Atlantic right whale deaths reported in U.S. and Canadian waters.
The female whale, named Snow Cone, has been tracked since 2005 by the researchers. Now, the creature has been trapped in the net, with the rope tightly wound around her mouth and baleen.
Green said:
“There’s still probably half a body length of rope coming out of her mouth on the left side.”
The second whale, a five-year-old male who is still unnamed and identified by the number 4615 is in the same situation. The rescuers are tracking these two animals, trying to help them in any way they can. It remains to be seen how the situation will unfold.
