April 6, 2024 — According to a release from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service this week, an endangered North Atlantic right whale found dead off the Virginia Coast late last month was likely killed by a ship strike.
The release states that on April 2, experts conducted a necropsy on the adult female North Atlantic right whale #1950. “Preliminary findings included catastrophic injuries with a dislocation of the whale’s spine and fractures to all vertebrae in the lower back,” the release states. “These findings are consistent with blunt force trauma from a vessel strike prior to death. Additional histological and diagnostic testing of samples is pending. NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is investigating this incident.”
Experts believe there are fewer than 360 North American right whales alive.