Two North Atlantic right whales disentangled in recent weeks

The North Atlantic right whale Argo appears in this Mar. 27, 2019 photo. (CREDIT: Center for Coastal Studies)

The first North Atlantic right whale to be entangled in connection to Canada’s lobster fishery in over five years has been successfully rescued by marine mammal rescue responders in the United States.

Given the technical name of North Atlantic right whale 1218, the marine mammal is more commonly known as Argo.

An investigation by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and counterparts at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) determined the gear responsible for the entanglement originated from Lobster Fishing Area 33 off the southern coast of Nova Scotia.

Argo isn’t the only right whale to be recently disentangled in the Atlantic Ocean.

On the weekend of Jan. 21, a 15-year-old male North Atlantic right whale, known as Nimbus, was successfully disentangled. The investigating into the gear responsible for the entanglement remains ongoing.

According to a Friday news release, the future of North Atlantic right whale protection measures will be informed by the results of the aforementioned investigations.