NOAA photo.
As of June 28, six right whales have been reported dead in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. On June 26, Transport Canada announced that it would be implementing precautionary speed restrictions. The preliminary necropsy results of the first deceased right whale were inconclusive but officials noted that the death did not appear to be caused by entanglement or ship strike. The second whale was a 38-year-old female, known as Punctuation. The necropsy showed signs of sharp trauma, consistent with vessel strike. The third right whale was a 38-year-old male known as Comet; a A necropsy was planned for June 28. The fourth whale was #3815, an 11-year-old female. The carcass of 3815 is still floating west of the Magdalen Islands, and the carcass of the fifth right whale washed ashore on a remote stretch of Anticosti Island.
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