Body Of Mother Whale Struck By Boat Found Off VA Coast, Calf Unlikely To Survive: NOAA

The carcass of Catalog #1950 was found 50 miles off the coast of Virginia on March 30 and towed ashore. A necropsy was conducted on Tuesday, April 2. 

According to the NOAA, preliminary findings indicated “catastrophic injuries with a complete dislocation of the whale’s spine and fractures to all vertebrae in the lower back.” 

The injuries are consistent with blunt force trauma from a vessel strike prior to the whale’s death.

Catalog #1950, who was at least 35 years old, had recently given birth to her sixth known calf, first seen together on Jan. 11, 2024, by Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Georgia aerial survey team. The calf, which aerial survey teams have been unable to locate, is not expected to survive without its mother.

“The death of a right whale mother, and the expected death of her young calf, is another tremendous loss for a species that is heading toward extinction. The high level of right whale mortality from human activities, especially females, is greatly reducing the chances for the recovery of this critically endangered species,” said Philip Hamilton, senior scientist in the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium.

To reduce the risk of vessel strikes, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has proposed modifications to the existing vessel speed rule. The proposed changes include both an expansion in time and space of seasonal speed zones; extending restrictions to include most vessels measuring 35 feet to 65 feet in length; and implementing mandatory, instead of voluntary, speed restrictions in dynamic speed zones, which are established when and where right whales are observed and are likely to remain. The proposed rule was published more than 18 months ago, and the final rule is now under interagency regulatory review.

“The delay of these protection measures has put this critically endangered species at continued risk from vessel strikes. We need to immediately implement speed restrictions in larger areas that cover important whale habitats if North Atlantic right whales are to have a chance at survival,” said Dr. Jessica Redfern, associate vice president of ocean conservation science at the Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center. 

Dr. Redfern led recently published research showing the benefits of vessel speed restrictions when it comes to protecting large whales.

Click here to follow Daily Voice Arlington and receive free news updates.