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Dead North Atlantic right whale found in Gulf of St. Lawrence

Fisheries and Oceans Canada says the carcass was spotted during an aerial surveillance flight on June 4. The department is now assessing recovery options.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada currently assessing recovery options

CBC News ·
A North Atlantic right whale has been found dead in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. (Centre for Coastal Studies/NOAA)

A dead North Atlantic right whale has been found drifting in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 

Fisheries and Oceans Canada said in a media release the dead whale was spotted during an aerial surveillance flight on June 4. 

"We are working with the Marine Animal Response Society (MARS), the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to find the whale and try to recover it," reads the release. 

The green dot on the map indicates where the dead right whale was spotted off the coast of Gaspé during an aerial surveillance. (Fisheries and Oceans Canada)
If the whale is located, Fisheries and Oceans Canada said it would attempt to install a satellite tag on the whale so it can be tracked.

The release states the department is assessing recovery and necropsy options.

This is the first right whale death reported in 2019. There were none reported in Canadian waters last year and Fisheries and Oceans Canada decided to continue with protective measures. 

A report released late last year said there were only 411 right whales left alive.

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