Another young right whale death is "significant" loss for endangered species, aquarium says

BOSTON - A second young North Atlantic right whale has been found dead in the last month, the New England Aquarium said Thursday, representing a "significant" blow to the critically endangered species.

The 1-year-old was found dead off Savannah, Georgia on Tuesday and had been "heavily scavenged by sharks," the aquarium said. Crews will try to tow it to shore for a necropsy to determine the cause of death.

The aquarium said the whale had been seen "alive and healthy" just two weeks ago.

Entangled whale found dead on Martha's Vineyard last month

The loss comes not long after a female whale born in 2021 washed up dead on Martha's Vineyard last month. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration determined this week that the whale suffered from "chronic entanglement" after getting caught in fishing rope from Maine. 

"In just over a two-week period, the North Atlantic right whale population has lost two young females," aquarium scientist Heather Pettis said in a statement. "Their deaths, while heartbreaking in and of themselves, also represent the potential loss of dozens of new whales in the population. As this species struggles to recover, these deaths are significant."

There are estimated to be fewer than 360 right whales left in the world, and only 70 are believed to be reproductively active females.

Young whale came from large family

The aquarium said the whale found dead this week "comes from a large family" and had 30 relatives. Her mother, Pilgrim, got her name from the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station on Cape Cod Bay. 

The family has suffered more than 77 recorded injuries from fishing equipment and boat strikes, the aquarium said. A 1-month old cousin was killed by a "sport fishing vessel" off the coast in Florida in 2021, according to the aquarium.