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A North Atlantic right whale was found entangled in Gulf of St. Lawrence on June 30, said Fisheries and Oceans Canada Monday, July 1.

Fisheries and Oceans workers will try to locate and tag the whale as soon as weather permits and are working closely with partners from Campobello Whale Rescue Team to assess disentanglement options.

The whale was first observed late Sunday afternoon by a Canadian Coast Guard Vessel north east of Miscou Island in a zone closed to most fisheries since April.

The state of the whale and the length of time it has been entangled is unknown at this time.

July 1 necropsy

The carcass of a North Atlantic right whale known as Clipper was towed by the CCGS Corporal Teather, a Coast Guard patrol vessel, to the shores Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula on Saturday, June 29.

On Sunday, Clipper was taken from the water at the Rivière au Renard harbour and transported to Grand Étang, Que.

Clipper’s body was first spotted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada surveillance aircraft on Thursday, June 28, approximately 100 kilometers from the Gaspé Peninsula.

On Monday, veterinary teams from the Université de Montréal and the Atlantic Veterinary College, supported by American experts, carried out a necropsy.

It was the fourth necropsy performed this year.

July 28 necropsy update

Preliminary results from the July 28 necropsy of Comet, the third deceased whale have been released. Veterinarians in charge of the say the deaths of Comet and Punctuation, the second necropsied whale, "are highly compatible with death due to blunt trauma, consistent with vessel strike.”

The preliminary findings of the first necropsy were inconclusive.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Transport Canada have increased the number of surveillance flights over the Gulf of St. Lawrence to assess the location of the whales and ensure compliance with management measures.

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