Current:Home > MyFirst North Atlantic right whale baby born this season suffered "slow, agonizing death" after vessel strike, NOAA says-LoTradeCoin
First North Atlantic right whale baby born this season suffered "slow, agonizing death" after vessel strike, NOAA says
View Date:2024-12-23 19:51:48
The first North Atlantic right whale baby born this season has died after being hit by a vessel, NOAA said on Monday, marking a grim start to the year as one of the world's most endangered large whale species inches closer to extinction.
NOAA first learned of the injured calf on Jan. 6, when it was found off of Edisto, South Carolina, three days prior. Videos showed the calf with "several propellor wounds on the head, mouth, and left lip," injuries that the agency says are consistent with a vessel strike. Preliminary assessments indicate the vessel may have been between 35 and 57 feet long, although no whale strikes had been reported in that area during the injury time frame.
The injuries are believed to have potentially impacted the baby's ability to nurse, which calves typically do for about their first year of life.
"The wounds to the calf are severe. We are heartened that the calf survived the initial injury, and there is some evidence of healing. However, we do not know the full extent of the wounds below the surface," NOAA said in January. "We remain concerned the calf may eventually die from internal injuries, infection, or impaired behavior, particularly nursing, given the damage to the lip."
The calf was found with its mother on Feb. 1 and is believed to have successfully nursed. But over the weekend, NOAA Fisheries learned of a dead calf found "heavily scavenged by sharks" on Georgia's Cumberland Island National Seashore, and found that it was the same calf. NOAA said they do not know the sex of the animal, but know it's the same calf as the one found earlier this year based on its unique injuries and markings.
The calf was born to a whale scientists have identified as 38-year-old Juno, the first North Atlantic right whale found to give birth this season. She was first spotted with her calf on Nov. 28 off the South Carolina coast when her calf, Juno's eighth documented, was just a few days old. This was the first calf Juno had given birth to since 2020, and before the injury, they were last seen together at the beginning of December.
Greg Reilly, southeast marine campaigner for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said that the calf's death is "a beacon of hope...turned into a tragedy."
"Human activity has set this species on a collision course with extinction," Reilly said.
There are just an estimated 360 North Atlantic right whales remaining, with less than 70 being reproductively active females. Yet, more than 20% of the species' population has been impacted by an unusual mortality event since it began in 2017, NOAA has found, marking a "significant impact on an endangered species where deaths are outpacing births." Since the UME started, there have been at least 123 documented cases of the whales being dead or seriously or sublethally injured or ill.
Vessel strikes and entanglements continue to be a major contributor to the deaths and injuries. NOAA says that the whales live and migrate near major ports, making them vulnerable to vessel collisions, and that more than 85% of the whales have been entangled in fishing gear at least once. The latter is known to cause serious injuries, and scientists believe chronic entanglements are contributing to females of the species having fewer calves.
Kathleen Collins, senior marine campaign manager for the IFAW, said the situation is "heartbreaking."
"The first North Atlantic right whale calf of the season never made it out of the nursery," Collins said. "It suffered a slow, agonizing death for half its short life."
- In:
- North Atlantic
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Endangered Species
- Whales
Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Suspect in deadly 2023 Atlanta shooting is deemed not competent to stand trial
- A mostly male board will decide whether a Nebraska lawmaker faces censure for sexual harassment
- Michigan GOP lawmaker falsely claims that buses carrying March Madness teams are ‘illegal invaders’
- A woman went to the ER thinking she had a bone stuck in her throat. It was a nail piercing her artery.
- 4 arrested in California car insurance scam: 'Clearly a human in a bear suit'
- ASTRO COIN:Blockchain is related to Bitcoin
- NC State is no Cinderella. No. 11 seed playing smarter in improbable March Madness run
- Hijab wearing players in women’s NCAA Tournament hope to inspire others
- The state that cleared the way for sports gambling now may ban ‘prop’ bets on college athletes
- ASTRO COIN: Bitcoin Halving Mechanism Sets the Stage for New Bull Market Peaks
Ranking
- Don't Miss This Sweet Moment Between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Dads at the Kansas City Chiefs Game
- Law enforcement executed search warrants at Atlantic City mayor’s home, attorney says
- Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry in hospice care after medical emergency
- Many Americans say immigrants contribute to economy but there’s worry over risks, AP-NORC poll finds
- Artem Chigvintsev Returns to Dancing With the Stars Ballroom Amid Nikki Garcia Divorce
- Activists watch for potential impact on environment as Key Bridge cleanup unfolds
- Families of victims in Baltimore bridge collapse speak out: Tremendous agony
- Beyoncé features Shaboozey twice on 'Cowboy Carter': Who is the hip-hop, country artist?
Recommendation
-
Fire crews gain greater control over destructive Southern California wildfire
-
Ymcoin Exchange: The epitome of compliance, a robust force in the digital currency market.
-
How Lindsay Gottlieb brought Southern Cal, led by JuJu Watkins, out of March Madness funk
-
Tracy Morgan Sets the Record Straight on Experience With Ozempic
-
BITFII Introduce
-
Beyoncé features Shaboozey twice on 'Cowboy Carter': Who is the hip-hop, country artist?
-
Federal court reinstates lines for South Carolina congressional district despite racial gerrymander ruling
-
A decade after deaths of 2 Boston firefighters, senators pass bill to toughen oversight