On December 9, 2024, NOAA Fisheries scientists spotted right whales #5110 and #4120 entangled in fishing gear approximately 50 miles off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. One week later, on December 16, right whale #5132 was seen entangled off the coast of North Carolina.
With only an estimated 370 right whales left in the population, each new entanglement is a blow to the species.
Of the three entanglements, Right whale #5110 and #5132, both juvenile males first seen in 2021, have it worse. Their entanglements have been deemed as serious injuries, meaning they will likely die from their injuries. Right whale #5132 has line wrapped around his head and mouth, which may be making it difficult for him to open his mouth and feed.
Right whale #4120 is an adult female first spotted in 2011, and her entanglement was determined to be less severe – a “sublethal injury,” or an injury deemed to be survivable for now. NOAA is still determining whether a disentanglement effort is possible for the three whales given the weather conditions and their distance from shore.
Chronic entanglement is a slow and painful death for right whales, and the whales can carry the fishing gear with them for months or even years. Entanglements make it difficult for right whales to swim, feed and reproduce, and it can cause the whale severe stress.
These recent entanglements highlight the devastating threats the critically endangered right whales face. Since 2017, there have been 54 right whales reported in poor health due to entanglements, 35 reported seriously injured and 10 confirmed dead.
It is not too late to save the right whales, and we have the technology to do so. Ropeless fishing gear significantly reduces the threat of entanglement, as it eliminates the vertical fishing line that right whales may swim through and subsequently get tangled in. With ropeless gear, we can save other right whales from facing the same tragic fate of right whales #5110, #4120, and #5132.
We’ll keep you updated on the fate of these whales as we learn more. But for now, we wish #5110, #4120, and #5132 all the luck in the world as they fight for their futures.
