OUTER BANKS, N.C. — A right whale carcass was spotted 25 miles off the Avon coast on Jan. 27, according to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The 4-year-old male right whale was last spotted alive off the coast of Cape Hatteras on Jan. 21, according to the New England Aquarium.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, taken under NOAA permit #24359. Aerial survey funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The New England Aquarium says this whale was first seen entangled on Dec. 3, 2025. The fishing line had cut into the whale's blowhole after wrapping around his head and mouth. Experts say this entanglement led to the whale's health worsening significantly.
A partial disentanglement was started after the whale was first spotted; however, poor conditions prevented crews from fully freeing the whale, according to the New England Aquarium.
