North Atlantic right whale - Incidents: 2024

2024 Incident tracker

Disclaimer: 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.

2024 Canadian Summary statistics:

• 1 NARW death confirmed to date in Canadian waters.
• 6 NARW entanglements observed in Canadian waters
• 3 NARW entanglement in US waters, 1 linked to Canadian fisheries. Please see NOAA website for more information on these cases.

Entanglements

• Unknown ID (April 9, 2024)
  • Detected 45 miles south of Block Island, U.S.
  • Unable to relocate for further actions.
• 4510 “Shelagh” (May 10, 2024)
  • Detected in Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada.
  • Unable to relocate for further actions.
  • Later observed gear-free in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on June 16, 2024.
• Unknown ID (June 11, 2024)
  • Detected 20 kilometers south of Anticosti, Canada.
  • No imagery to confirm individual.
  • Unable to relocate for further actions.
• 2023 calf of 1812 (June 22, 2024)
  • Detected 18.5 nautical miles East of Miscou Island, Canada.
  • Disentanglement successfully conducted by Canadian response partners on three separate occasions on June 25, July 2 and July 10.
  • Gear analysis completed: Gear consistent with Canadian snow crab fishing gear. Report available.
  • Sighted gear free by aerial surveillance on October 22, 2024, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
• 1271 “Dropcloth” (July 27, 2024)
  • Detected East of Miscou Island, Canada.
  • Unable to relocate for further actions.
• 3301 “Neptune” (August 3, 2024)
  • Detected East of the Acadian Peninsula, Canada.
  • Unable to relocate for further actions.
  • Later observed gear-free off Virginia on January 25, 2025.
• 4040 “Chiminea” (September 18, 2024)
  • Detected between Gaspé Peninsula and Anticosti Island, Canada
  • Unable to relocate for further actions.
  • Later observed gear-free south of Nantucket on December 18, 2024.
• 4120 (December 9, 2024)
  • Detected east of Nantucket, U.S.
  • No response possible due to distance offshore.
  • Last observed without gear in Block Canyon, U.S., July 22, 2024.
  • Later observed gear-free in Cape Cod Bay on February 8, 2025.
• 5110 (December 9, 2024)
  • Detected east of Nantucket, U.S.
  • No response possible due to distance offshore.
  • Last observed without gear in Cape Cod Bay on April 26, 2024.
• 5132 (December 16, 2024)
  • Detected east of North Carolina, U.S.
  • No response possible due to distance offshore.
  • Last observed without gear on October 21, 2024, in the Bay of Fundy.
  • No response possible due to distance offshore.
  • Gear analysis completed: Gear consistent with Canadian lobster fishing gear. Report available.

Vessel Strikes

• Calf of 1612 (January 3, 2024)
  • Detected off Edisto, South Carolina in the U.S. Had a serious injury to its head, mouth and lip from vessel strike.
  • Resighted January 12 and 18 2024 off South Carolina. Serious injury still present.
  • Resighted March 3, 2024.
    • Observed dead.
    • Necropsy pending.

Mortalities

• 5120 (January 28, 2024)
  • Observed dead off Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, U.S.
  • Necropsy determined cause of death was chronic injuries from entanglement. Gear recovered linked to Maine State trap pot buoy lines.
  • Previously reported entangled on August 20, 2022, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
• Calf of 1612 (March 3, 2024)
  • Vessel strike wounds detected January 3, 2024, off Edisto, South Carolina, U.S.
  • Observed dead off Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia, U.S.
  • Necropsy determined cause of death due to probable sharp force trauma from a vessel strike.
• Calf of 4340 (February 13, 2024)
  • Observed dead off Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
  • Necropsy determined cause of death due to probable blunt force trauma due to vessel strike.
• 1950 (March 30, 2024)
  • Observed dead off False Cape State Park, Virginia, U.S.
  • Necropsy determined cause of death due to probable blunt force trauma due to vessel strike.
• 4633 “Katahdin” (May 12, 2024)
  • Observed dead off the Western Scotian Shelf, Canada.
  • Carcass was not examined. Cause of death is unknown.
  • Using photos of the carcass, the whale was identified on September 2, 2025, as 4633, “Katahdin.”