'Approaching Extinction': Right Whale Necropsy Reveals Cause of Death

The dead 1-year-old female calf of North Atlantic right whale #4340 (Pilgrim). She was found floating offshore of Savannah, Georgia, and was towed more than 20 miles to Tybee Island for the necropsy. Photo by FWC with NOAA permit

​On February 13, 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries received notification of a deceased whale floating offshore of Savannah, Georgia. According to the information reported by NOAA, the whale, identified as a juvenile female and offspring of Pilgrim (North Atlantic right whale #4340), was first documented in December 2022.

The North Atlantic Right Whale Updates page further notes that an aerial survey team from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute located the carcass about 20 miles off Tybee Island, Georgia, on February 14. Subsequently, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources responded, attaching a satellite tag and collecting photos and samples for identification. By this point, the carcass had undergone substantial scavenging by sharks.

A necropsy of the juvenile female North Atlantic right whale was conducted on February 15, 2024, revealing evidence of blunt force trauma, including fractures of the skull. These injuries are consistent with a vessel strike. Further histological and diagnostic testing of samples is pending. The NOAA Office of Law Enforcement is actively investigating the incident.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the whale had been sighted interacting with beachgoers off Melbourne, FL, on February 3, 2024, marking its last known appearance.

These findings highlight ongoing conservation concerns for North Atlantic right whales, which are "approaching extinction" according to the NOAA.

"An Unusual Mortality Event was declared for North Atlantic right whales in 2017, and currently includes 123 individuals (38 dead, 34 seriously injured, and 51 sublethally injured or ill). The primary causes of the UME are entanglements in fishing gear and vessel strikes in both U.S. and Canadian waters, which are long-standing threats to the recovery of the species."