NANTUCKET, Mass. – Two endangered North Atlantic right whales have been spotted off Massachusetts with entanglements that could potentially be life-threatening to the massive mammals.

According to NOAA Fisheries, an aerial survey team recently spotted a pair of whales approximately 50 miles southeast of Nantucket on Dec. 9. 

The smaller of the two marine animals was first sighted in 2021 and was seen free of gear as recently as April. 

But now, the survey team said a thick rope was located over the whale’s head and back, which could cause its eventual death.

The larger whale, identified as an adult female, was last seen without gear as recently as July and, due to its size, is unlikely to be as significantly impacted as the juvenile.

“This whale has two lines exiting the left side of her mouth, with both lines extending a half to two thirds of the way down the body,” NOAA stated. “After reviewing the entanglement, NOAA Fisheries biologists have made a preliminary determination that it meets the Unusual Mortality Event criteria as a ‘morbidity’ (sublethal injury) case.”

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Due to conditions and the distance to shore, NOAA entanglement response teams did not mount a response but stand at the ready should the occasion arise.

The agency estimates that over 85% of right whales are entangled in fishing gear at least once during their lifetime, which can cause serious injuries.

The marine animals tend to spend most of their time off the coast of Canada and the Northeast in the western Atlantic before migrating southward for the calving season.

The right whales are considered to be the 149th and 150th documented cases in the ongoing North Atlantic right whale Unusual Mortality Event (UME), which includes dead, seriously injured or health-compromised animals.

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NOAA Fisheries estimates there are only around 370 North Atlantic right whales left in existence – down from a peak of around 20,000 during the late 1800s.

Since 2017, the species has been experiencing an Unusual Mortality Event, which has caused dozens to become sick, injured or ultimately pass away.

“While entanglements remain the leading cause of death and injury, this year [2024] there were at least six vessel strike-related injuries/deaths, highlighting the importance of addressing this issue soon,” Heather Pettis, a research scientist at the Anderson Cabot Center and the chair of the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, previously stated. “The persistent aggregation of more than 50 right whales in the New York shipping lane this summer underscores this even further.”