In the USA, a whale of an endangered species was hit by a ship: it died

North Atlantic smooth whale on the coast in the USA

Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center

The body of a dead whale was found on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in the state of Virginia.

It belongs to the endangered North Atlantic right whale species, writes CNN.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said the cause of the whale’s death was probably a ship collision. It happened on March 30, 80 km east of the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia.

The animal’s autopsy revealed “catastrophic injuries with displacement of the spine and fractures of all vertebrae in the lower back, consistent with blunt force trauma (vessel) prior to death.”

The National Administration stated that the dead animal turned out to be a female nursing a cub born in 2024.

“We do not expect a baby to survive without the mother’s protection and care“, NOAA said.

There are currently only 360 North Atlantic right whales left in the wild, of which only 70 are females of reproductive age.

According to NOAA, the dead whale became the 40th victim due to human carelessness. Anthropological influence continues to threaten the survival of the species.

Over the past 8 years, there have been more than 200 cases of whale deaths. 40% of them were caused by ship collisions, entanglement in ropes or nets.

We will remind. that the behavior of whales is also affected by global warming. Recently, scientists noticed gray whale in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time in 200 years.