Right whale entangled off Provincetown one of dozens sighted near Cape

But among them is a young right whale, known as #5110, that experts say has a dwindling hope of survival. 

The 5-year-old male has been entangled in fishing gear since at least December. Researchers spotted it off Georges Bank at that time. They noted that the whale had multiple ropes and buoys caught by its upper jaw, but it was too far offshore for a rescue team to be dispatched, according to the Provincetown-based Center for Coastal Studies. That organization’s Marine Animal Entanglement Response team specializes in freeing whales from fishing gear. 

The whale was then seen on April 10 by an aerial survey team operating over Cape Cod Bay. A rescue team responded and successfully removed some of the gear using a specialized grappling hook. But hours of continued efforts did not completely free the whale. 

It was seen on Monday and Tuesday feeding with a large group of whales in the bay. The Center for Coastal Studies is monitoring the whale and weather conditions in the hopes that rescuers will be able to make another attempt. But the entanglement is considered to be “likely lethal.”

“This will be a particularly challenging case to solve. While there may be enough entangling gear on the whale to kill him over the long term, there is not enough gear for us to use techniques we would normally use. With that in mind I would temper expectations for this case,” Scot Landry, director of the rescue team, said in a statement. 

Scientists monitor North Atlantic right whale populations closely. Along with entanglements, the animals are also commonly injured by vessel strikes. An “unusual mortality event” has been ongoing since 2017. 

There are only about 70 reproductively active females that remain, and experts say that female whales are having fewer calves and taking longer between pregnancies. So it was notable when, in mid-March, researchers observed the first calf of the season in Massachusetts waters.