Endangered Right Whale Calf Dies In Cape Cod Bay

BARNSTABLE, MA — There are only an estimated 524 North Atlantic right whales left on the planet — on Thursday, that number dwindled to 523 after a calf was found dead in Cape Cod Bay. A Coast Guard crew made the discovery Thursday morning. Researchers called it "upsetting."

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It was immediately unclear how the calf died; a necropsy is planned. Right whale calves are often killed by boat propeller strikes. Last year, another right whale calf was found dead of a propeller strike near Chatham. Federal regulations require boats and aircraft stay at least 500 yards from right whales.

The good news for the species is earlier this week, a record 112 right whales — including four calves — were spotted in Cape Cod Bay alone on Sunday. The whale's habitat ranges from Nova Scotia down to Georgia.

"We are upset about the loss of this calf, especially as right whales are at very low abundance and every calf is critically important to their recovery," says Kim Damon-Randall, an administrator for NOAA Fisheries' Protected Resources Division. "We were very excited about the large number of right whale sightings in Cape Cod Bay including the four calves."

Right whales, which grow up to 50 feet and 80 tons, are drawn to Cape Cod Bay to feed on zooplankton. The whales were nearly hunted into extinction in the 1800s and in 1935 most countries agreed to stop hunting them. Their population plummeted to an estimated 295 in 1992.

Researchers said right whales spend a lot of time near the ocean surface and can be difficult to see.

"Look for blows, ripples in the water, and patches of plankton--these are often signs that whales are in the area," Damon-Randall added.

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• Record 112 Endangered Right Whales In Cape Cod Bay
• Endangered Right Whale Calf Found Dead Off Cape Cod

These photos from the Center for Coastal Studies show some of the 112 right whales spotted in Cape Cod Bay Sunday:

Lead photo: A dead North Atlantic right whale calf was found in Cape Cod Bay April 13, 2017. (Credit: U.S. Coast Guard-Northeast)