Friday, February 27, 2009

Dead right whale, February 25, 2009

On February 25, a dead right whale was spotted during an aerial survey by the National Marine Fisheries Service off Cape Cod in an area called the Great South Channel. The whale has been identified as #3103, the daughter of #1703. The cause of death is not known as of yet. There were no external clues but a necropsy (dissection) is usually necessary to determine cause of death.

Many efforts have been undertaken to reduce the likelihood of ship strikes in both Canada and the United States. In the U.S. the shipping lanes into the port of Boston have been shifted and a new speed reduction rule was passed which would see ships slow down in areas where right whales are present, but despite these efforts, it is still a dangerous coastline for right whales.

1 comment:

  1. That makes me sad. However, I was glad to hear about the rules that are being made to protect them. I hope even more rules get put in please so that these wonderful creatures are even better protected.

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