Entangled North Atlantic right whale spotted near P.E.I.

An entangled North Atlantic right whale that was last seen in the St. Lawrence Estuary has been re-sighted near Prince Edward Island.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) says officials saw the whale (named #5132) near Morell in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on Monday. The whale was last seen near Les Escoumins, Que., on May 27.

The whale is a juvenile male that was born in 2021. It was first seen entangled near North Carolina last December.

“If the whale is located again, and weather and sea conditions allow, efforts will be made to attempt disentanglement by our Marine Mammal Response partner the Campobello Whale Rescue Team,” the DFO said in a news release. “We ask the public not to approach a rescue effort, should you see one underway. Keep your distance. Responding to an entanglement is dangerous, and our partners need space and time to safely do their work.”

There are an estimated 370 North Atlantic right whales alive today.

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