March 2, 2020 — A North Atlantic right whale is near death after becoming entangled in fishing gear, a serious blow to the endangered species.
“The potential loss of a mother is particularly devastating,” researchers at the New England Aquarium said in a statement Friday.
Researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spotted Dragon, a 19-year-old whale who has given birth three times, while conducting an aerial survey about 45 miles south of Nantucket Monday.
Dragon was excessively thin, unusually gray, and had a buoy stuck in the right side of her mouth when researchers found her in a group of about 15 whales.