4 days ago
Scientists alarmed after finding whale in heartbreaking predicament: 'I would temper expectations for this case'
Scientists discovered a young, North Atlantic right whale entangled in fishing gear off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the Cape Cod Times reported. While the Center for Coastal Studies' Marine Animal Entanglement Response (MAER) team has attempted to free the whale from the debris, he –– and his species –– remain in danger.
Scientists first noticed the whale in December 2024, according to the Cape Cod Times, when they found ropes constraining his jaw and buoys following him. The team was unable to rescue the whale at that time, and they did not spot him again until three months later in April.
Using a grappling hook, the team removed some of the fishing gear from the whale on April 10, but full disentanglement is challenging due to the techniques and conditions required. The items entangling the whale are close to his body, so the team has to make close contact with him, which "whales generally do not like," explained MAER director Scott Landry.
The entanglement has not prevented the whale from moving or eating, according to Landry, but "he is starting to show signs of poor health." While he could continue to live with the entanglement, the debris could embed into the whale without intervention.
"I would temper expectations for this case," Landry said.
This whale is not the first of its kind to suffer entanglement. Entanglement threatens North Atlantic right whales as a leading cause of death, according to NOAA Fisheries, and the species is one of the most endangered whales. The Endangered Species Act has included North Atlantic right whales since 1970, and only about 370 individuals exist in the wild.
Plastic pollution increases the risk of entanglement for whales and other marine wildlife. The world produces about 386 tons of plastic waste annually, Our World in Data reported, and around 0.5% of this waste ends up in the ocean.
Plastic waste and fishing gear entangle marine animals, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths every year, according to NOAA Fisheries. Such debris can drown or starve animals by restricting their movement, while other individuals experience infection or exhaustion trying to escape their entanglement.
Organizations like the Center for Coastal Studies' Marine Animal Entanglement Response in Cape Cod rescue entangled animals. The group has saved more than 200 whales and marine animals from life-threatening entanglement since its inception in 1984.
The Marine Animal Entanglement Response team is authorized by NOAA Fisheries to disentangle marine wildlife. NOAA Fisheries works with organizations around the country to mitigate entanglement, using satellite tracking to monitor entangled animals and developing disentanglement guidelines.
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Reducing plastic pollution so less ends up in the ocean can prevent marine wildlife entanglement. Participating in actions like beach cleanups also serves as an opportunity to connect with local groups and efforts making a difference in your community.
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