Officials share heartbreaking image of endangered whale: 'A slow and painful death'
There are fewer than 400 North Atlantic right whales, whose numbers have decreased exponentially due to the fishing industry. Complications include ship collisions and gear entanglements.
The whale was spotted via aerial view entangled in the net and "has not been seen again," according to Melanie White, who is the North Atlantic Right Whale Conservation Project Manager and a research biologist.
This was the third of the endangered whales to be found entangled in fishing gear in the span of one week in December 2024.
According to ABC 13 News, "Right whales' population fell about 25% from 2010 to 2020."
Conservationists have said that the animals need new protections from commercial fishing to help mitigate their population decline. Once numerous off the East Coast, the whales were "devastated during the commercial whaling era" and have been a protected species for decades.
Hundreds of thousands of marine animals are impacted by commercial fishing each year through overfishing or bycatching, which is the indirect fishing of animals usually compounded by commercial fishing waste.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare, a global nonprofit advocating for animal safety in the face of the changing climate, told the harrowing truth about what happens to these whales caught in commercial fishing waste
"For these whales, entanglements typically lead to a slow and painful death caused by either starvation, infected lacerations, increased susceptibility to disease, extreme stress, or drowning," IFAW wrote in a post on the effects of bycatching.
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The whales have been a protected species for decades. They are also protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Nevertheless, they are impacted by the commercial fishing industry, which is notorious for environmental degradation. It causes about 50% to 100% of plastic debris found in some parts of the ocean, according to the Marine Pollution Bulletin.
Accordingly, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has adopted measures to reduce harm to right whales. They include efforts to reduce vessel strikes, reduce entanglements, and address ocean noises.
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Boston Globe
12-07-2025
- Boston Globe
50 years ‘Jaws,' the number of white sharks off Cape Cod is growing. Scientists say that's a good thing.
The white shark population is recovering as the blockbuster film 'Jaws,' which ignited many people's fear of great whites, celebrates its 50th anniversary this summer. 'There are more white sharks off the coast of Massachusetts, and specifically off the coast of Cape Cod, than there were twenty years ago,' Greg Skomal, a senior fisheries biologist with the state's Division of Marine Fisheries and a leading expert on white sharks, said. 'That's what you expect when you restore an ecosystem.' White sharks once dominated the waters around Cape Cod, but scientists believe recreational fishers looking for a big catch and accidental catches by commercial tuna and swordfish fisheries are to blame for their decline. The white shark population in New England dropped by 63 to 73 percent during the 1970s and 1980s, according to scientists. Advertisement At the time, many saw sharks' disappearance from the waters as a boon for humans. 'Jaws,' which premiered in 1975, left many viewers terrified of encountering the animals on a swim. Advertisement 'The perception at the time of 'Jaws' and even prior to 'Jaws' was that the only good shark was a dead shark,' Skomal, who wrote a book on the history of shark research, said. But without white sharks, the ocean's natural food chains are thrown off balance, leading to the proliferation of certain species of fish as others languish, like the coral reefs and kelp that fish eat. In 1993, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) implemented the first management measures for Atlantic sharks, including a prohibition on removing their fins. A turning point came four years later, when white sharks were marked as a prohibited species for harvesting. Although scientists cannot pin down a direct cause of the population recovery, the increasing numbers of sharks are correlated with the implementation of shark management plans and the growing population of grey seals, their prey. Congress banned the killing of seals under the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972. Around 800 white sharks visited the waters off Cape Cod from 2015 to 2018, according to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC). Although scientists do not know how many sharks frequented the coast before that, they said the number generally indicates the species is recovering in the region. 'We don't have that magic number of 'this is the perfect ecosystem,'' Ashleigh Novak, a research coordinator at AWSC, said. 'But what we do know is that from these protective measures for seals and sharks we're seeing them begin to recover.' It's hard to miss the sharks' return to Cape Cod from the shore. 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A new generation of biologists has expanded humans' understanding of the species 'by orders of magnitude,' including how they grow, reproduce, and most importantly for humans, feed, Skomal said. Skomal studies white sharks' predatory behavior when hunting grey seals for insights into how to keep humans safer in the ocean. He uses video cameras mounted on sharks' bodies and accelerometer tags, which measure movements like tail-beat frequency and swimming depth, to understand when, where, and how sharks hunt their prey. 'We could take that information and translate it into recommendations for the public,' Skomal said. The National Park Service offers safety guidance for visitors to Cape Cod, including tips to stay close to the shore, swim in groups, limit splashing, and avoid areas where seals and schools of fish are swimming. Advertisement Endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh wants to see humans and sharks coexist in the ocean. In May, He considers the Shark Swim a step towards undoing the film's lasting negative impact. 'It shaped the narrative about sharks for the past fifty years, no question about that. It created a culture of fear around the world,' Pugh said. Vendetta killings, shark-fishing tournaments, and commercial shark fishing proliferated in the decades after the film's release. 'There was a lot of fear around sharks resulting from them watching 'Jaws,' and there were shark tournaments,' said Novak, referring to fishing competitions where participants try to catch the biggest shark. 'There is this really big public perception shift that has happened in the last fifty years.' Pugh's swim sought to raise awareness of the 'It is complete madness. It is ecocide that is happening right now,' he said. 'I think we still have quite a long way to go to educate the public about how important they are.' Pugh, who has crossed the Red Sea and swum the length of the Hudson River, could not help but feel a touch of nervousness before getting in the water himself. 'I'm doing interview after interview after interview speaking about sharks, and then I have to get in the water and I've got to swim,' he said. Advertisement Jade Lozada can be reached at
Newsweek
24-06-2025
- Newsweek
Dozens of Whales Found Stranded on Beach in Northern Iceland
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. More than 60 pilot whales were stranded on a beach near the northern Icelandic town of Ólafsfjörður, prompting an urgent rescue operation involving local emergency services and community volunteers. Rescue teams from the Tröllaskagi region and Akureyri were called out to respond to the mass beaching on June 21, according to Hinrik Wöhler, a deputy spokesperson for ICE-SAR (Icelandic Search and Rescue), reported the Iceland Monitor. A video of the scene was shared by TikTok user @charlotte_9877. The viral clip, which has garnered over 188,000 views since it was posted on June 23, shows the whales moving helplessly in shallow waters. Text overlaid on the video read: "Yesterday, more than 60 whales were stranded on a beach in a small town in northern Iceland … it was a serious situation, as the low water level prevented them from swimming back to the ocean and they were at risk of dying quickly." @charlotte_9877 What a day it was! I've never been so close to these animals before, and I truly hope I won't have to be again—and that they won't appear in the harbor anymore. From deep sadness and helplessness… to relief and hope, because they were saved! Huge respect to everyone who came to help so quickly. In today's world, we need more of these everyday heroes 🥹🥺 #iceland #savedwhales #olasfjordur #whales #icelandnews #northicelandwhales @Iceland @visitnorthiceland @whalewatching ♬ suono originale - swami Lára Stefánsdóttir, the regional manager of the search and rescue team Tindur in Ólafsfjörður, said the rising tide played a critical role in the rescue efforts. "It went incredibly well. I was very surprised when I arrived and saw 60 to 70 whales stranded on the shore—I thought it was unlikely we'd be able to do anything," Stefánsdóttir told RÚV, Iceland's national broadcaster. "But people quickly showed up and found a way to drag the whales back out." Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove is a professional wildlife and landscape photographer based in Iceland, who actively monitors such incidents. He told Newsweek the reasons behind whale strandings are complex and debated. "There is a lot of debate on why these kinds of beachings happen, and there are many possible causes," he said. "Over the years, there has been indication that sonar [sound navigation and ranging] has been influencing their navigating abilities." Van Nieuwenhove also pointed to environmental change as a potential factor. He said that "there's also an indication that climate change, influencing where the whale's food goes, may be a factor at play." Scientific research supports the idea that these events are not fully understood. A study published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin in December 2023 noted that "long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) are the most frequently stranded cetaceans in the world; however, the predominant drivers of these events are poorly understood." Stefánsdóttir told RÚV: "I didn't expect it, but every single animal made it back out. What condition they're in now or what will happen to them, I have no idea. But they all swam away." Text overlaid on the viral TikTok video credited the successful outcome to "the help of local services and people who jumped into the water to assist," noting that "every single whale was saved." In a caption accompanying the clip, the TikTok user wrote: "What a day it was! I've never been so close to these animals before, and I truly hope I won't have to be again … Huge respect to everyone who came to help so quickly. In today's world, we need more of these everyday heroes." While such large-scale strandings are uncommon in Iceland, Van Nieuwenhove said they are not unprecedented. "Large beachings like this are not common at all, but it has occurred in the past where pilot whales have either beached themselves or gotten themselves stuck in a fjord system," he said. "Very recently, an injured orca also beached itself near Reykjavík. It was rescued twice but shortly after beached itself again … after which it was euthanized. This animal was deemed to be sick or injured." Van Nieuwenhove added that, due to Iceland's sparse population along much of its coast, similar events may sometimes go unnoticed. "A lot of Iceland's coastline is uninhabited so in some cases, these events are perhaps not even noticed by people," he said. Newsweek has contacted Icelandic Search and Rescue via email and user @charlotte_9877 via TikTok for comment. Stock image: Pilot whales swim in the waters of Iceland. Stock image: Pilot whales swim in the waters of Iceland. Getty Do you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@ and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Miami Herald
20-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Two whales found dead together on Florida beach, state says. Here's what we know
Two whales found dead at a coastal park in northeast Florida are believed to be a mother and her calf, state officials say. The discovery was made Wednesday, June 18, about a 15-mile drive northeast from Jacksonville, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told McClatchy News. 'FWC staff responded to a report of two deceased Gervais' beaked whales just south of Hanna Park,' state officials said. 'A lactating adult female, approximately 14 feet in length, and her 7-foot-long female calf were recovered and necropsied by our team.' Results of the necropsy have not been released, but the data could reveal what killed the whales. Investigators did not report if they suffered wounds of any kind. Fatalities among Gervais' beaked whales have been linked to entanglement with fishing gear and 'man-made' underwater sounds that can drive them from critical feeding and breeding grounds, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says. The whales are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and can reach 17 feet and 2,640 pounds, NOAA says. 'This species prefers deep tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean but is occasionally found in colder temperate seas,' NOAA reports. 'There is little information on the abundance of Gervais' beaked whales worldwide.'
