MYRTLE BEACH, SC – A North Atlantic right whale, seriously threatened with extinction, was found dead over the weekend on the coast of South Carolina, more than four months after being spotted entangled in fishing equipment.
The National Marine Fisheries Service confirmed on Sunday that the dead whale, called Cottontail, was discovered in waters about 15 miles (24 kilometers) off the coast of Myrtle Beach. It is the third recorded death of right whales since the breeding season for rare species began in November along the south east coast.
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Experts estimate that fewer than 400 North Atlantic right whales survive. Pregnant females migrate each winter to the warmer coastal waters of Georgia and Florida to give birth to their young.
According to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Cottontail was a 12-year-old male who had been entangled at least since October, when he was spotted off Nantucket, Massachusetts, swimming with a fishing line stuck in his mouth and extending beyond his tail. , The fishing service, said in a press release.
The same entangled whale was spotted again in mid-February off the coast of Florida, where a team of experts was sent, but failed to free it.
Conservationists fear that North Atlantic right whales are nearing extinction, as deaths in recent years have outpaced births.
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However, the 2021 birthing season proved to be the best in years. Research teams sent to search for mothers, right whales and newborn calves by plane have so far identified 15 calves – the highest number since 2015.
The birthing season usually lasts until mid-April.