Three rare, endangered whales were entangled in fishing gear. Now comes ‘good news’
Three North Atlantic right whales previously entangled in buoys and fishing line are confirmed to have broken free from the gear, scientists say.
One whale named Chiminea was spotted in September with “buoys close to her lip” and dragging fishing line from her mouth, according to a Feb. 19 news release from the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration Fisheries Service.
Chiminea was seen again in December off the coast of Nantucket swimming gear-free, scientists said.
Similarly, whale #4120 — a 13-year-old female — was seen in early February in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts, free from two lines previously stuck in her mouth that trailed two-thirds of the length of her body, according to the NOAA.
A third whale, Neptune, who became entangled in Canadian waters in August, was seen in January gear-free off the coast of Virginia, researchers said.
“While this is good news for these whales, we still don’t know the full extent to which these entanglements affected their health,” scientists said. “We will continue to monitor and document them.”
As of 2025, approximately 370 North Atlantic right whales remain, the NOAA said.
This story was originally published February 24, 2025 at 9:50 AM with the headline "Three rare, endangered whales were entangled in fishing gear. Now comes ‘good news’."
