North Atlantic right whale - Incidents: 2020

2020 Incident tracker

Incident tracking data presented here by Fisheries and Oceans Canada is collected and draws from reports prepared by Canadian and U.S. response partners, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, research groups and non-governmental organizations. Additional information may be available through different sources that provide additional context; this serves as the official record of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

2020 Canadian Summary statistics:

• 0 NARW deaths observed in Canadian waters
• 0 NARW entanglements observed in Canadian waters
• 4 NARW entanglements in US waters, 0 linked to Canadian fisheries. Please see NOAA website for more information on these cases.

Entanglements

• 3180 (February 24, 2020)
  • Detected southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, US
  • Unable to relocate for further actions
• WR-2020-02 (March 16, 2020)
  • Detected near George’s Bank, Massachusetts, US
  • Unable to relocate for further actions
• 4680 (October 11, 2020)
  • Detected east of Sea Bright, New Jersey, US
  • Unable to relocate for further actions
• 3920 ‘Cottontail’ (October 19, 2020)
  • Detected south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, US
    • Partial disentanglement conducted by US response partners
  • Resighted February 18, 2021, off Indialantic, Florida, US
    • Unable to relocate for further actions
  • Resighted February 27, 2021, at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, US
    • Observed dead
    • Partial Necropsy showed evidence of chronic entanglement

Vessel Strikes

• Calf of 2360 (January 8, 2020)
  • Detected off the coast of Georgia, US
    • Detected with two wounds consistent with propeller strike
  • Resighted January 15, 2020, off the coast of Georgia, US
    • Antibiotics were successfully administered by US response partners
    • Unable to relocate for further actions
• 1017 (February 29, 2020)
  • Detected in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts, US with 25+ minor propeller wounds
  • Unable to relocate for further actions
• 4539 (April 5, 2020)
  • Detected in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts, US
    • Detected with minor propellor wounds
  • Resighted: June-September 2020
    • Detected in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts, US
    • Unable to relocate for further actions

Mortalities

• 5060 (June 25, 2020)
  • Carcass detected off Elberon, New Jersey, US
  • Necropsy determined cause of death was sharp and blunt force trauma from a vessel strike
• Unknown neonate (November 11, 2020)
  • Carcass detected near Core Banks, North Carolina, US
  • Necropsy determined cause of death was perinatal mortality