Slow down for whales!
On June 25, 2020, we received a report of a floating North Atlantic right whale carcass off the coast of Elberon, New Jersey.
The New England Aquarium and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission identified the whale as the male calf of North Atlantic right whale #3560 (unnamed). He was the first of ten reported calves of the 2019/20 season.
With the assistance of U.S. Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook, the whale was towed to shore for a necropsy on Saturday, June 27. The necropsy was completed Sunday afternoon, June 28. Preliminary results show the calf had evidence of at least two separate vessel collisions. Read our latest update and all previous announcements for more information.
This is the first observed right whale death in U.S. waters in 2020. An unusual mortality event has been in effect for North Atlantic right whales since 2017, during which 31 whales (including this one) have been found dead in U.S. and Canadian waters, and an additional 10 live seriously injured whales have been documented, bringing the current total number of animals in the UME to 41.
NOAA urges everyone to please give these animals their space. Stay informed! Learn about recent right whale sightings through our Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Right Whale Sighting Advisory System. The law requires keeping a safe distance of at least 500 yards by sea and air (including drones) from North Atlantic right whales because of the dire status of the species. Get more information on how to safely view marine mammals in their habitats from our marine animal viewing guidelines.
If you see a sick, injured, stranded, or dead marine mammal please report it to your local stranding network or call our Northeast Marine Mammal Stranding at Entanglement Hotline at (866) 755-6622.
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