The federal agency said in a statement Monday that the whale “had a chronic entanglement and was seen in poor health before its death. Experts are examining the rope and other samples collected from the whale.”
The North Atlantic right whale found dead this week off Martha's Vineyard was a 3-year-old female, scientists at the New England Aquarium confirmed Friday.
The deceased female, which was estimated to be a juvenile because of her size, was located near Joseph Sylvia State Beach in Edgartown, officials said.
A female North Atlantic right whale was found dead this weekend near Martha's Vineyard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries said.
The body of the North Atlantic right whale found off Martha’s Vineyard is scheduled to be towed in from the water Wednesday so experts can determine what caused its death, officials said.