2017–2024 North Atlantic Right Whale Unusual Mortality Event

Beginning in 2017, elevated mortalities in North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) were documented in Canada and the United States and necessitated an Unusual Mortality Event (UME) be declared. The whales impacted by the UME include dead, injured, and sick individuals, who represent more than 20 percent of the population, which is a significant impact on an endangered species where deaths are outpacing births. Additionally, research demonstrates that only about 1/3 of right whale deaths are documented. The preliminary cause of mortality, serious injury, and morbidity (sublethal injury and illness) in most of these whales is from entanglements or vessel strikes. Endangered North Atlantic right whales are approaching extinction. There are approximately 360 individuals remaining, including fewer than 70 reproductively active females. Human impacts continue to threaten the survival of this species. The many individual whales involved in the UME are a significant setback to the recovery of this endangered species.

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Counts of North Atlantic Right Whale UME Mortality, Serious Injury, and Morbidity (Sublethal Injury or Illness) Cases

*Vessel strike (VS), Entanglement (ENT), Perinatal (PERI), Unknown/undetermined (UNK), Not Examined (NE), Pending (PEND), Dependent Calf (DEP CALF).

**Vessel strike (VS), Entanglements (ENT), or Unknown injury (INJ-UNK), or Poor body condition caused by unknown (BC-UNK).

+ A review of all photographed right whale sightings is still underway and Morbidity cases may still be added as new cases are identified.

Detailed Tables on Mortality, Serious Injury and Morbidity Cases

Learn more about the right whale mortality, serious injury and morbidity cases

Selected Past Cases

• North Atlantic Right Whale Update
• January 31, 2022, Snow Cone Watch: Updates on Entangled Right Whale Mother and Newborn Calf
• February 28, 2021, Adult North Atlantic Right Whale Found Dead off South Carolina
• February 14, 2021, North Atlantic Right Whale Calf Stranded Dead in Florida
• January 8, 2021 Report of the Health Assessment Workshop for North Atlantic Right Whales
• November 23, 2020, First Known North Atlantic Right Whale Calf of the Season Washes Up Dead off North Carolina
• October 20, 2020, Entangled North Atlantic Right Whale Spotted off Nantucket
• October 12, 2020, Entangled North Atlantic Right Whale Spotted off New Jersey
• June 25, 2020, North Atlantic Right Whale Carcass off New Jersey
• February 28, 2020, Emaciated Adult Female North Atlantic Right Whale Spotted Entangled off Nantucket
• January 13, 2020, North Atlantic Right Whale Calf Injured by Vessel Strike

Serious Injury and Morbidity

Serious injury determination is a detailed scientific assessment process. It uses health data, such as body condition and parameters of the human-caused injury, collected from living whales to determine an individual whale’s prognosis for survival. A serious injury designation indicates a whale is likely to die from those injuries (although it was alive at its last sighting).

Morbidity determination is also a detailed scientific and veterinary assessment process that uses health data to assess sublethal injury or illness. These whales are evaluated from photos or videos. For the right whale UME, the morbidity (sublethal injury or illness) classification categories reflect: vessel strikes, entanglements, and injuries or poor body condition of unknown cause.

Causes of the North Atlantic Right Whale UME

The leading cause of this UME is human interaction, specifically from entanglements or vessel strikes. Necropsy (animal autopsy) results are available from seven of the Canadian whales from 2017 and from five of the whales from 2019. Photos and other available documentation for the live whales were reviewed by NOAA Fisheries’ Northeast Fisheries Science Center as part of the serious injury determination process and by internal and external reviewers as part of the morbidity (sublethal injury or illness) process (see tables below for details on specific animals and findings).

Interactive Map

Learn more about the ongoing UME through the 2017-2021 North Atlantic Right Whale Unusual Mortality Event Dead Animal Locations Mapping Application

Report a Stranding

The most important step that the public can take to assist investigators is to immediately report any sightings of injured or stranded whales (dead or alive). In the United States, call the Greater Atlantic Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline at (866) 755-6622 or the Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline at (877) 433-8299.

In Canada, call the Marine Animal Response Society at (866) 567-6277 or the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network at (877) 722-5346.

You can also contact the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards on VHF Channel 16. Do not approach injured or dead animals.