ASSOCIATED PRESS • February 15, 2024
The carcass of a North Atlantic right whale found floating off the coast of Georgia marks the second known death in the past month for the critically endangered whale species. NOAA said the dead whale off Tybee Island had been identified as a female born last year. The discovery came after another young female right whale was reported dead Jan. 28 off Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. A necropsy found rope embedded in its tail. NOAA said it was consistent with a type of rope used in commercial fishing gear and was marked as having originated in Maine. Conservation groups have been calling for tighter laws on vessel speed and commercial fishing in an effort to save them from extinction.