Dead endangered right whale found drifting in Gulf of St. Lawrence: DFO

A dead North Atlantic right whale has been spotted drifting in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, according to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).

In a news release, DFO said the whale was spotted during a Transport Canada aerial surveillance flight.

The whale was found drifting northeast of the Magdalen Islands.

A satellite tag has been installed on the whale to track it, according to DFO, and they are currently assessing recovery and necropsy options.

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But due to challenging weather conditions, DFO were unable to safely recover the whale on Friday.

There are estimated to be around 410 North Atlantic right whales left alive. Only 71 of those are believed to females that could potentially reproduce.

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Half of the world’s North Atlantic right whales were spotted in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence in 2018.

The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) in Provincetown, Mass., noted a small baby boom of North Atlantic right whales seen off New England back in April.

CCS said their aerial survey team spotted two mom and calf pairs in Cape Cod Bay, bringing the number of calves observed this season up to three.