Endangered Whale Tangled In Fishing Gear Spotted Off Jersey Shore

BARNEGAT INLET, NJ — A critically endangered whale entangled in fishing gear was spotted off Barnegat Inlet last weekend, according to the non-profit organization Gotham Whale.

"North Atlantic Right Whale EG #5192, previously seen in September off Montauk, NY by our friends at Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island, Inc., was just seen on Saturday off Barnegat Inlet, NJ! This whale is badly entangled in fishing gear," the group shared on social media.

The whale, known as whale 5192, was recently seen in September off Montauk, NY, according to Gotham Whale.

He was first seen entangled in gear on June 8, 2026, according to NOAA. His last gear-free sighting in the United States was on April 21, 2026, in Massachusetts Bay.

Responders sighted the whale again on June 10 near the Magdalen Islands and attempted to attach a satellite tag; however, they were unsuccessful due to inclement weather, NOAA said.

The whale had initially been included in the Unusual Mortality Event as a 2022 morbidity injury from wounds consistent with a prior entanglement, NOAA said.

With this new entanglement, NOAA scientists made a preliminary determination that it meets the Unusual Mortality Event criteria as a "serious injury" case, meaning that this whale will most likely die.