A North Atlantic right whale known as Division was discovered deceased in U.S. waters this week due to being trapped in fishing equipment. This marks the initial entanglement fatality of 2026, as reported by the Canadian Whale Institute.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced on Friday through a news release that a right whale carcass was sighted by an aerial survey team about 40 kilometers off the coast of Avon, N.C., on January 27.
Researchers from the New England Aquarium confirmed the deceased whale as Division, a four-year-old male. The whale had a fishing line tangled around its head and mouth, causing injuries to its blowhole and upper jaw.
North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered, with less than 400 remaining, and entanglements and vessel collisions in U.S. and Canadian waters are the primary causes of their demise, according to NOAA.
Tonya Wimmer, the executive director of the Marine Animal Response Society, emphasized the significance of every endangered animal’s death in the conservation efforts. She stressed the importance of preventing such incidents to aid in the recovery of the right whale population.
Division was initially spotted entangled on December 3, and efforts were made to remove some fishing gear in December. However, adverse weather conditions and the whale’s distance from the shore hindered a complete disentanglement. The last sighting of Division alive was on January 21.
The New England Aquarium noted that Division’s death is the first recorded North Atlantic right whale fatality since May 2024. Wimmer expressed the distress caused by seeing the visible effects of the entanglement on Division and highlighted the necessity of preventing such tragedies.
Due to hazardous weather conditions and the location of Division’s remains, a necropsy cannot be conducted, as stated by NOAA. Nevertheless, federal authorities will examine the fishing gear recovered from the whale.
The New England Aquarium reported that Division had been entangled three times previously. These right whales are known to frequent Atlantic Canadian waters for feeding purposes. Division was frequently sighted in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in New Brunswick as the species gradually migrated due to ocean warming.
Despite the loss of Division, there is optimism for the species as more than 21 calves have been born during the current calving season, exceeding the previous year’s count. This serves as a hopeful sign for the species, indicating the potential for recovery if threats are mitigated effectively.