Another endangered whale last seen off Georgia coast dies; calf also considered a casualty
The shark-scavenged carcass of an endangered North Atlantic right whale last spotted alive near the Georgia coast has been discovered in ocean waters off Virginia, federal officials said Tuesday.
A calf observed with the now-dead female in January near St. Simons Island was not found near its mother when the remains were discovered Saturday but is being included among the 41 known right whale fatalities along the Atlantic coast since 2017, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries division reported.
It was the mother’s six known calf over the past 35 years, according to NOAA.
The adult and calf would bring the number of known right whale fatalities during the current birthing season to four.
The first two of those incidents occurred off the Georgia coast.
On March 3, the shark-ravaged carcass of a right whale calf – the first newborn identified during the current season – was located at the Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia.
That discovery came about three weeks after a year-old female was found dead floating about 20 miles from Tybee Island.
Investigators attributed both deaths to injuries from vessel strikes.
Slowing vessels: After Georgia deaths, feds advance broadened protection for North Atlantic right whales
At least eight government agencies and private organizations are assisting in investigating the latest fatality.
“The death of this matriarch is tragic and seals the fate of her dependent three-month old calf,” said Sarah Sharp, animal rescue veterinarian with the International Fund for Animal Welfare, one of the groups involved in examining the remains. “To lose not just one but two whales in a single instance is a major blow to this already struggling population.”
The Atlantic teemed with as many as 21,000 right whales before their population was decimated by commercial whaling in the late 19th century, driving their numbers down to an estimated 100.
There are believed to be about 340 remaining, including fewer than 70 reproducing females.
'Death after death'
Experts are investigating the carcass found on Saturday 50 miles east of Virginia’s Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge to determine a suspected cause, NOAA said.
Advocates seized on the latest reported death to renew their call for final approval of enhanced seasonal speed limits for vessels aimed at protecting the endangered North Atlantic right whale.
“The loss of yet another breeding female, especially one with a young calf, is heartbreaking,” said Catherine Kilduff, senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “We’re seeing death after death, but the federal government is doing next to nothing and ignoring its legal obligation to protect right whales.”
Current federal regulations set a maximum of 10 knots (11.5 mph) from mid-November to mid-June for vessels at least 65 feet long in a protective zone stretching from Brunswick, Georgia, to Wilmington, North Carolina.
NOAA has proposed lowering the proposed size threshold to 35 feet.
After 18 months of consideration, the agency sent the draft rule on March 6 to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, a division of the Office of Management and Budget that reviews federal regulations originating in the Executive Branch.
Powerful opponents: GA Gov. Kemp, congressman blast right whale protections without addressing key exceptions
Republican leaders including Gov. Brian Kemp and U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, whose district includes Georgia’s entire 100-mile coast, have been among the most vocal opponents of the revised regulations. They argue that the change would endanger boats that transport “river pilots” to and from the ships they steer through difficult navigation channels at the ports of Savannah and Brunswick.
However, proponents note that the revisions include speed exemptions aimed at protecting smaller vessels, particularly during severe weather.
John Deem covers climate change and the environment on the Georgia coast. He can be reached at jdeem@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: North Atlantic right whale found dead off Virginia coast
