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American Morning

Prospects Fade for Injured Right Whale

Aired June 27, 2001 - 11:25   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, now the latest on that whale off the coast of Cape Cod. Scientists are hoping that that wounded whale will be able to free itself from a fishing line that's hooked through its mouth. They've tried to help this animal. It is a rare right whale, but they say there's nothing more they can do at this point.

The sedative they used appeared to have no effect, and they couldn't get close enough to loosen the thick plastic cord. Crews who were working from dinghies did attach buoys to the whale to keep it from diving, but the infection that's been caused by the fishing line looks like it is getting worse.

There is just a few hundred of these great creatures left on our planet, explaining this urgent need to save this specific whale. More on that now from our environment correspondent Natalie Pawelski.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NATALIE PAWELSKI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Right whales are the most endangered of the great whales, among the most endangered of any big mammal anywhere on the face of the Earth.

CHRIS SHAYS, NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM: This is our white rhino, this is our giant panda.

PAWELSKI: Best estimates put the Northern Right Whale population between 320 and 340 whales. Researchers say every animal is precious, maybe not essential to the species' survival, but close to it. The whale entangled off Massachusetts is a male of breeding age, probably a father, certainly a potential contributor to the future of the species. A 50-ton giant done in by a fishing line, an echo of the right whales' history.

(on camera): Right whales got their names from whalers, who considered them the right whale to hunt. They were full of blubber, slow moving, and stayed close to shore. All of that is still true today. And they are still in harm's way.

(voice-over): Living close to shore, and so, close to humans they are the urbanites of the whale world. In the winter, mothers nurse their one-ton newborns near the busy ports and military bases of Florida and Georgia. their annual migration takes them across the shipping lanes and fishing grounds of the Northeastern U.S. Right whales have only one real predator, unintentional, but deadly all the same: people. The number one cause of death for these animals, including at least two newborns so far this year: being hit by ships.

SHAYS: We're the wealthiest, most powerful nation in the world and here we have one of the most endangered populations of large mammals in the world right out our back door, and I think that it would be a shame if, 100 years from now, this population became extinct because we didn't give it our all.

PAWELSKI: There are other whales in the sea, dozens of other species with a better chance of survival. But it was the hand of man that almost wiped out right whales in the first place. Now it is human hands trying to help ensure the species' survival.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAWELSKI: Now, the latest on that particular right whale up in Massachusetts, word from the government comes that the original injury may have been caused by a ship's propeller and the line may have snagged on that cut. If that's true, this is the third confirmed right whale ship strike this year, the other previous victims both died -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Which brings us to the question, no matter what exactly happened to this whale, whether it got caught up in the fishing line or it was the propeller, what's the prognosis for this specific whale?

PAWELSKI: It's not great. I mean, when you talk to the researchers, they don't want to be totally without hope, but the whale is badly infected, it's emaciated. They don't think they're going to be able to cut the line loose. There is a chance the rope could work its way loose and maybe the whale might surprise them -- I've seen injured whales recover before -- but it's not looking good.

KAGAN: And it has that infection to fight as well.

PAWELSKI: Exactly.

KAGAN: Tough times. Natalie, thank you.

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