An endangered North Atlantic right whale has been spotted with gear entangled around its mouth in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
According to a news release from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), the whale was seen on Friday during routine aerial surveillance of the area. It’s the first sighting of a North Atlantic right whale in Canadian waters for the 2024 season.
The whale, which was seen northeast of New Brunswick’s Acadian Peninsula and northwest of the Magdalen Islands, matches the description of Shelagh, an adult female.
“We do not yet know the type of gear that the whale is entangled in or where the gear came from,” the release reads. “If the whale is located again, and weather and sea conditions allow, efforts will be made to attempt disentanglement.”