North Atlantic Right Whale Health Updates 2023
An archive of updates from NOAA Fisheries on North Atlantic right whale health and stranding incidents in 2023.
🢐 2020–2022 Updates | 2024 Updates 🢒
Documented Health Decline of Specs (Right Whale 2930)
July 25, 2023
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On June 12, 2023, an adult male North Atlantic right whale known as “Specs” (#2930) was observed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in a significant health decline. At the time of sighting, there was no gear visible. However, subsequent photo analysis showed injuries consistent with constricting gear. Specs—first sighted in 1999—was most recently documented gear-free and without injury on August 21, 2021, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. After reviewing the new photo documentation, he is being added to the ongoing North Atlantic right whale Unusual Mortality Event as a “Serious Injury” case. This designation signifies Specs is likely to die from this injury.
Entanglement Response Mounted for Previously Entangled Right Whale 4545
April 3, 2023
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On March 29, 2023, the Center for Coastal Studies documented an entangled North Atlantic right whale in Cape Cod Bay. Response teams identified the whale as #4545, a known entangled whale that was last seen in February with thick line exiting her mouth. Since that last sighting, the entanglement has become more complex and life threatening. The entanglement now consists of at least three lines wrapped around her body and cutting into her skin with several body lengths of line trailing behind.
Authorized and trained responders from the Center for Coastal Studies removed some of the trailing gear, but the body wraps remain. Unfortunately tight, constricting, and embedded lines are some of the most difficult to remove. The response team attached a telemetry buoy to the remaining entangling gear to more easily locate and track the whale. This will provide more opportunities to remove the remaining gear as weather conditions and the whale’s location permit. NOAA Fisheries will examine the removed rope to determine its origin, if possible.
Right whale #4545 was previously included in the ongoing Unusual Mortality Event as a morbidity (sublethal injury or illness) case. On review of this new documentation, #4545 will now be considered a serious injury case. This new designation means, based on past similar incidents without further intervention, she is likely to die from her injuries. NOAA Fisheries will continue to work with authorized responders and trained experts to resight the whale and will further document and monitor her injuries. Please let these qualified experts respond and report any sightings of entangled whales to our Northeast and Mid-Atlantic 24-hour stranding hotline at (866) 755-6622 or VHF Channel 16.
Nimbus (Right Whale 3812) is Sighted Gear Free
March 15, 2023
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On March 10, 2023, a New England Aquarium aerial survey team saw North Atlantic right whale Nimbus (#3812) swimming in a large group of right whales south of Martha’s Vineyard. This was the first sighting of Nimbus since entanglement response teams partially disentangled him off the Georgia coast in January 2023. Nimbus appears to have shed the remainder of the line trailing from his mouth, and is now fully gear free. At this time, the full extent to which this entanglement impacted Nimbus’ health remains unclear. We and our partners will continue to monitor and document him.
While this is good news for Nimbus, entanglement response and disentanglement is not always possible for other whales. North Atlantic right whales remain vulnerable to entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes.
New Dead Right Whale, 3343, Documented near Virginia Beach, Virginia
February 17, 2023
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On February 12, 2023, the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center Stranding Response Program was alerted to a dead North Atlantic right whale in the surf on Virginia Beach. The New England Aquarium identified the whale as right whale #3343, a 20-year-old male. His last confirmed sighting was on December 26, 2022 off the coast of Georgia.
The Virginia Aquarium team led a necropsy examination on February 14, with support from partners including:
- Barco Marine Consulting
- University of North Carolina, Wilmington
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
- Blue World Research Institute
- North Carolina State University
- International Fund for Animal Welfare
- Whale and Dolphin Conservation
- City of Virginia Beach
- Virginia Marine Resources Commission
- New England Aquarium
- NOAA Office of Law Enforcement
- NOAA Fisheries
Experts determined right whale #3343 suffered a catastrophic blunt force traumatic injury, which impacted a large portion of the spinal column. The injuries are consistent with a vessel strike. They included multiple spinal fractures and separations that would have resulted in death shortly after the injury. There was no obvious external evidence of the trauma. The whale was 43 feet long, in normal to thin nutritional condition, and there was no evidence of recent entanglement.
Vessel strikes continue to occur all along the U.S. coast, from the Gulf of Maine to Florida, and are one of the leading causes of the ongoing North Atlantic right whale Unusual Mortality Event. Right whale #3343 is the 97th right whale documented in the UME, and the 36th mortality.
Entangled Female North Atlantic Right Whale 4545
February 17, 2023
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On February 9, 2023, an aerial survey team from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center saw an entangled right whale offshore south of Massachusetts. There was rope coming out of the right side of the mouth and trailing several body lengths with no additional attachment points. After reviewing this new entanglement case, NOAA Fisheries biologists have made a preliminary determination that it meets the Unusual Mortality Event criteria as a “morbidity” case.
The New England Aquarium identified the whale as #4545 in the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog. She is an 8-year-old female whose last known pre-entanglement sighting was in July 2022 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada.
Entanglement response teams did not mount a response at the initial sighting because it was too late in the day and the whale was too far from shore to reach it before sunset. However, as conditions permit, NOAA Fisheries will work with authorized responders and trained experts to find her again. We will further document the entanglement, and may respond, if it is logistically feasible.
Right whale #4545 is the 96th right whale documented in the ongoing North Atlantic right whale Unusual Mortality Event, and the 39th morbidity case.
Entanglement Response Mounted for Argo (Right Whale 1218)
February 6, 2023
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On January 27, 2023, the North Carolina aerial survey team sighted an entangled North Atlantic right whale approximately 10 miles east of Surf City, North Carolina. New England Aquarium matched images to an adult male (#1218), named Argo. He was first cataloged in 1981, which makes him at least 42 years old. His last known pre-entanglement sighting was off Massachusetts in May 2022.
Entangling gear was wrapped tightly around the whale’s tail and flukes, and the whale appeared to be dragging something heavy under its tail. The entanglement was severe enough that the whale was mostly swimming with its pectoral fins instead of its tail. Authorized and trained responders from Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, and Duke University Marine Lab responded. Over 3 days, they worked to document, attach a satellite tag to the trailing gear, and finally remove the entanglement from the whale’s tail and flukes. Staff from NOAA Fisheries, Center for Coastal Studies, and New England Aquarium provided offsite assistance. The response team was also able to recover all of the gear removed from the whale. This included approximately 157 feet of line and the two wire mesh traps that were dragging behind the whale. NOAA Fisheries and our partners, including the Department of Oceans and Fisheries Canada, studied the recovered gear and determined the gear originated from Canadian Lobster Fishing Area 33 off the southern coast of Nova Scotia.
Argo is being added to the ongoing North Atlantic right whale Unusual Mortality Event. He is the 95th right whale in the UME. Scientists are still assessing whether this case is a serious injury or a morbidity case.
NOAA Fisheries thanks all of our authorized and trained entanglement response partners for their tremendous effort on this case. This is the first disentanglement of a North Atlantic right whale in North Carolina waters.
Entanglement Response Mounted for Nimbus (Right Whale 3812)
January 26, 2023
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On January 20, 2023, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission whale survey aircraft sighted an entangled North Atlantic right whale 13 miles east of Jekyll Island, Georgia. Authorized responders and trained experts from multiple agencies worked from boats with specialized tools to remove approximately 375 feet of rope that was passing through the whale’s mouth and dragging hundreds of feet behind its flukes. After this entanglement response, only a short segment of rope remained in the whale’s mouth. Based on similar incidents, responders are optimistic the remaining rope will dislodge on its own. NOAA Fisheries will examine the removed rope to determine its origin, if possible.
Photographs of the whale were matched to a 15-year-old adult male known as #3812 in the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog and nicknamed “Nimbus.” His last known pre-entanglement sighting was August 8, 2022 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada. Fishing gear entanglement is one of the leading causes of North Atlantic right whale mortality and injury. Significantly reducing entanglement risk is critical to the species’ recovery.
Nimbus was first added to the UME as the 81st individual overall and the 26th morbidity (injured/ill) case due to lesions around his mouth first documented in July 2019 in Canada. Those injuries were from an unknown source and not consistent with entanglement. His new entanglement injuries are more severe than the previous ones, so he will now be considered an entanglement case under the morbidity category.
Georgia Department of Natural Resources led the disentanglement response, with assistance from:
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
- Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute
- NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center
- Song of the Whale
Staff from NOAA Fisheries, the Center for Coastal Studies, and the New England Aquarium provided offsite assistance.
While many people empathize with the animals and want to help, untrained members of the public should not attempt to free entangled whales. The best way that you can help is by reporting sightings of entangled whales to the local entanglement response network. Then, stand by until response team members arrive, and provide any photos or videos to NOAA Fisheries.
Resighted: Entangled North Atlantic Right Whale 5120 in Cape Cod Bay (2021 Calf of Right Whale 3720)
January 24, 2023
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On January 18, 2023, a Center for Coastal Studies aerial survey team located an entangled North Atlantic right whale in Cape Cod Bay, approximately 5 miles south of Provincetown, Massachusetts. The New England Aquarium identified the whale as the 2021 calf of the adult female named Squilla (#3720). This 2-year old whale was first documented as entangled in August 2022 off the coast of New Brunswick, Canada. It was added as the 54th individual to the ongoing Unusual Mortality Event as a serious injury case.
After this resighting, a response team on the water worked with the aerial team to locate and document the entangled whale. However, the whale was feeding alongside 15–20 other right whales and was difficult to follow. Challenging weather conditions made photo documentation and assessment of the entanglement configuration difficult so a disentanglement attempt was not possible that day. A Center for Coastal Studies aerial survey team resighted the whale on January 22, 2023 in Cape Cod Bay, but again the conditions prevented a response.
This juvenile whale continues to have a constricting wrap around its tail and flukes. As conditions permit, NOAA Fisheries will work with authorized responders and trained experts to resight the whale. We will further document the entanglement, and determine if a response will be possible.
Entangled North Atlantic Right Whale 4904 off North Carolina
January 12, 2023
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On January 8, 2023, an aerial survey team from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium sighted a heavily entangled right whale approximately 20 miles east of Rodanthe, North Carolina. There were several wraps of line around the mouth and tail, with additional line trailing behind the whale. After reviewing documentation of this new entanglement case, NOAA Fisheries biologists have made a preliminary determination that it meets the criteria of a “serious injury.” This means the whale is likely to die from this injury.
Scientists with the New England Aquarium identified the whale as right whale #4904, a 4-year-old juvenile female. The Aquarium manages the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog to track the identification and sighting history of each right whale. This entangled whale is the daughter of right whale #1204, an adult female named “Spindle,” who was recently seen with a new calf off St. Catherines Island, Georgia.
The last known sighting of right whale #4904 was in May 2022 in Massachusetts Bay, and she was not entangled at that point. NOAA Fisheries and our partners reviewed initial images from January 8. They show her to have numerous wounds across her body and whale lice on her head.
Entanglement response teams did not mount a response at the initial sighting because it was too late in the day and the whale was too far from shore. However, as conditions permit, NOAA Fisheries will work with authorized responders and trained experts to resight her. We will further document the entanglement, and determine if an entanglement response will be possible.
Right whale #4904 is the 94th right whale documented in the ongoing North Atlantic right whale Unusual Mortality Event, and the 22nd serious injury case. This UME includes dead, seriously injured, and sublethally injured or ill whales. The whales in the UME represent more than 20 percent of the population, which is a significant impact on this endangered species where deaths are outpacing births. Researchers estimate there are about 70 reproductively active females remaining. If you encounter a whale that may be entangled, please do not intervene and instead call the experts for the whale’s sake as well as yours.
New Dead Right Whale Calf Documented Under Pier in North Carolina
January 20, 2023 (Update)
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On January 8, 2023, a stranding response team conducted a necropsy (animal autopsy) of the male right whale calf. It had been found dead under a pier near Morehead City, North Carolina. The necropsy did not find any evidence of entanglement or vessel strike. Initial findings suggest the calf was only a day or two old when it died. Multiple samples were collected in order to attempt to identify the calf’s mother through genetic analysis. They will be compared to samples taken from known right whale mothers to possibly determine its maternal lineage. Tissue analyses and other multiple tests are being conducted and results are pending.
The team included members from:
- North Carolina State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technology
- University of North Carolina Wilmington
- North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
- North Carolina Maritime Museum/Bonehenge Whale Center
- North Carolina Aquariums
- Fort Macon State Park
- Duke University Marine Lab
- Marine Mammal Commission
January 9, 2023
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On January 7, 2023, a male North Atlantic right whale calf was documented dead near Morehead City, North Carolina. Response teams with key support from the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries Marine Patrol recovered the carcass, and a multi-organization team conducted a necropsy the following day.
This calf was seen alive on January 3, 2023. A member of the public reported to the Southeast Regional Stranding Network that a lone North Atlantic right whale calf was swimming close to shore inside of the Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina. An aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute responded, funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. On-water responders from the North Carolina Maritime Museum also quickly mobilized and were able to locate the calf. The aerial survey team widened their search in the hopes of locating and identifying an adult whale that could be the potential mother. However, no other right whales were found in the area.
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Based on images and video, experts estimated the male calf to be no more than a couple of weeks old. They suggested the animal appeared to be underweight and in relatively poor health. Newborn calves cannot survive long without their mothers. There are very few intervention options available to the stranding network given the size of the animals and their specialized needs.
Later that day, another video from the public showed the calf swimming under the dock at Morehead City Port. Biologists and veterinarians from the Duke University Marine Lab, North Carolina State University, and the North Carolina Maritime Museum responded on boats to further assess the situation. But, the whale was not seen that day. The carcass of the calf was found under the pier on January 7.
At this point, we do not know who the calf’s mother is or her condition. Scientists maintain an extensive database and photo-identification catalog of all North Atlantic right whales. We will use this catalog and a genetic sample from the calf to determine its relatives.
This calf will be added as the 93rd whale to the ongoing Unusual Mortality Event that the species has experienced since 2017.
How Can You Help
Give Right Whales Space—It’s the Law
- Remain 500 yards away—about 1/4 mile (about 1 football field). These regulations apply to vessels and aircrafts (including drones) and to people using other watercrafts, such as surfboards, kayaks, and jet skis.
- Any vessel finding itself within 500 yards of a right whale must depart immediately at a safe, slow speed
- When encountering marine mammals, slow down, operate at no-wake speed. Put your engine in neutral when whales approach to pass.
- Avoid approaching whales, dolphins, and porpoises especially when calves are present. Never put your watercraft between a mother and calf.
Report Stranded or Injured Whales
Do not approach injured or dead marine animals, including whales. The most important step you can take to assist professional responders and scientists is to immediately report any sightings of injured, stranded, or dead whales. In the United States, make a report by calling the Greater Atlantic Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline at (866) 755-6622 or the Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline at (877) 433-8299.
In Canada, call the Marine Animal Response Society at (866) 567-6277 or the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network at (877) 722-5346.
You can also contact the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards on VHF Channel 16.
Learn more about how you can help North Atlantic right whales