Critically endangered whale found dead off Myrtle Beach shore
A critically endangered North Atlantic right whale was found dead 15 miles offshore from Myrtle Beach over the weekend. Four months earlier, the whale was seen entangled in fishing nets, according to the Associated Press.
This is the third right whale death recorded since the beginning of calving season in November. Right whale calving season typically goes until the middle of April.
The whale was an 11-year-old male that had been spotted entangled in October off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. It was seen then with a fishing line stuck in its mouth, the AP reports.
The whale was seen again in mid-February off the Florida coast, still entangled. A team of experts was unable to free the whale.
Female right whales typically migrate to give birth in the warmer waters off of the Florida and Georgia coasts.
Experts estimate there are fewer than 400 right whales left in the world.
While right whale deaths have outpaced births in recent years, edging the species closer to extinction, the 2021 calving season has looked more hopeful.
Survey teams have spotted 15 right whale calves this year — the most reported since 2015.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
