NOAA confirms cause of death of whale that washed up on Martha’s Vineyard

A North Atlantic right whale that washed up on Martha’s Vineyard last winter died of chronic entanglement wounds, a federally led study has found.

The young woman – who investigators called 5120 – was initially hit by a barrage of misinformation, with many claiming that offshore wind energy contributed to her death.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported in February that the entangling rope came from a Maine lobster fishing gear, but confirmed last week that was the cause of death after using diagnostic tests and a microscope on the whale’s tissue.

NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is still investigating the case.

Since 2022, 37 North Atlantic right whales have died. Another 84 were considered seriously injured or otherwise in poor health.

According to NOAA, the leading causes of whale deaths are entanglement in fishing gear and boat strikes.