VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A North Atlantic right whale was found dead off the Virginia Beach coast Saturday morning, the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) said.
According to the agency, the whale was found dead 50 miles offshore of the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in south Virginia Beach. Sharks had scavenged her carcass.
The whale has been identified as an adult female #1950. She was a mom who gave birth to her sixth calf this winter and was first seen in 1989.
Her calf was not seen near the body. NOAA said it towed the whale to shore for a necropsy.
While the cause of the whale’s death is still undetermined, Gib Brogan, a campaign director with Oceana, says it emphasizes the need to improve protections around endangered species.
“We do know that right whales are not dying of natural causes. They’re dying either from entanglement in fishing gear or being struck by boats," Brogan told 13News Now.
A 2023 report by Oceana found that vessel speeding was the cause of many of their deaths. Tragedies that could have been easily prevented, according to Brogan.
Several other whales have been found deceased in the last month off the shores of Virginia and the Outer Banks in North Carolina.
According to NOAA, the North Atlantic right whale is one of the world’s most endangered large whale species, with only about 360 remaining. The whales have been listed under the Endangered Species Act since 1970.