Since 2017, dead, seriously injured, or sublethally injured or ill North Atlantic right whales have been documented, necessitating an Unusual Mortality Event declaration and investigation.
Beginning in 2017, elevated mortalities in North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) were documented in Canada and the United States and necessitated an Unusual Mortality Event (UME) be declared. The whales impacted by the UME include dead, injured, and sick individuals, who represent more than 20 percent of the population, which is a significant impact on an endangered species where deaths are outpacing births. Additionally, research demonstrates that only about 1/3 of right whale deaths are documented. The preliminary cause of mortality, serious injury, and morbidity (sublethal injury and illness) in most of these whales is from entanglements or vessel strikes. Endangered North Atlantic right whales are approaching extinction. There are approximately 360 individuals remaining, including fewer than 70 reproductively active females. The population continues to decline at an unsustainable rate, due to human impacts. The many individual whales involved in the UME are a significant setback to the recovery of this endangered species.
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Year |
Mortalities |
Serious Injuries |
Morbidity (Sublethal Injury or Illness)+ |
Total |
||||||||||
|
VS* |
ENT* |
PERI* |
UNK* |
NE* |
PEND* |
VS* |
ENT* |
DEP CALF* |
VS** |
ENT** |
INJ-UNK** |
BC-UNK** |
||
|
2017 |
5 |
4 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
1 |
1 |
35 |
|
2018 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
0 |
3 |
21 |
|
2019 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
19 |
|
2020 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
14 |
|
2021 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
|
2022 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
1 |
11 |
|
2023 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
12 |
|
Total |
12 |
9 |
2 |
3 |
10 |
0 |
2 |
31 |
1 |
4 |
39 |
3 |
5 |
121 |
*Vessel strike (VS), Entanglement (ENT), Perinatal (PERI), Unknown/undetermined (UNK), Not Examined (NE), Pending (PEND), Dependent Calf (DEP CALF).
**Vessel strike (VS), Entanglements (ENT), or Unknown injury (INJ-UNK), or Poor body condition caused by unknown (BC-UNK).
+ A review of all photographed right whale sightings is still underway and Morbidity cases may still be added as new cases are identified.
Learn more about the NARW mortality, serious injury and morbidity cases
Serious injury determination is a detailed scientific assessment process. It uses health data, such as body condition and parameters of the human-caused injury, collected from living whales to determine an individual whale’s prognosis for survival. A serious injury designation indicates a whale is likely to die from those injuries (although it was alive at its last sighting).
Morbidity determination is also a detailed scientific and veterinary assessment process that uses health data to assess sublethal injury or illness. These whales are evaluated from photos or videos. For the right whale UME, the morbidity (sublethal injury or illness) classification categories reflect: vessel strikes, entanglements, and injuries or poor body condition of unknown cause.
The leading cause of this UME is human interaction, specifically from entanglements or vessel strikes. Necropsy (animal autopsy) results are available from seven of the Canadian whales from 2017 and from five of the whales from 2019. Photos and other available documentation for the live whales were reviewed by NOAA Fisheries’ Northeast Fisheries Science Center as part of the serious injury determination process and by internal and external reviewers as part of the morbidity (sublethal injury or illness) process (see tables below for details on specific animals and findings).
The most important step that the public can take to assist investigators is to immediately report any sightings of injured or stranded whales (dead or alive). In the United States, call 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. Do not approach injured or dead animals.
North Atlantic right whale Catalog #3560 ‘Snow Cone’ sighted December 2, 2021 entangled and with a new calf. Photo credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission taken under NOAA permit 20556.
Four North Atllantic right whales.
A Northeast Fisheries Science Center biologist collecting data during buoyless lobster trap tests.
