September 23, 2025 — According to a new report by NOAA Fisheries, the number of large whale entanglements recorded by the agency in 2024 was higher than average, with 95 entanglements confirmed nationally – 87 of which featured entangled animals that were still alive at the time of the entanglement report.
That number was a significant increase from the 64 confirmed entanglements in 2023, and from the 17 year average of 71.4 entanglements per year. The agency said it is still looking into the causes of the uptick, and unable to yet determine whether the “increase is temporary or part of a longer term trend.”