Endangered right whale found dead off Cape Cod coast
Newsy
With an estimated 360 right whales left on the planet, news of the death of this whale has left researchers stunned and saddened.
Battling a pounding surf and relentless waves along the coast of Martha's Vineyard, scientists are hoping an examination of a critically endangered right whale can provide more clues as to how the female juvenile died earlier this week.
With an estimated 360 right whales left on the planet, news of the death of this whale has left researchers stunned and saddened.
"I've been doing this long enough that I've dealt with a lot of heartache with this species. We're losing a lot when we lose a right whale," said Philip Hamilton, who serves as senior scientist at the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium.
On Sunday, the juvenile female whale was discovered floating near Martha's Vineyard. Scientists with NOAA say it appears the whale became tangled in fishing line. However, the exact cause of death still has not been determined.
Right whales are considered critically endangered, and a single death can set the recovery of the species back more than a year. Scientists are particularly concerned that this whale was a female who potentially could've helped reproduce the species.
