Achi news desk-
The fifth North Atlantic right whale calf of the season is thought to have died, according to an environmental organisation.
In a social media post, Oceana said Skittle the whale had been spotted twice without her baby “during a time when the calf…is still very dependent on her mother for survival.”
Due to this absence, the calf is now presumed dead.
“This is the fifth baby this calving season to be presumed dead, with four missing and one killed by ship,” the post reads. “Every new calf is vital to the recovery of this critically endangered species.”
Last week, the whale Shelagh was seen stranded in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In a previous interview with CTV News Atlantic, Kim Elmslie, campaign director with Oceana Canada, said one study found that even minor lacerations can limit a female whale’s ability to calve.
