Endangered Whale Is Killed By Ship

The world’s dwindling right whale population was dealt another blow when one of the 295 remaining animals was killed in a ship collision.

“In a population this small, the loss of even one animal is traumatic,” said Deborah Tobin of East Coast Ecosystems, a government-funded research group. “If it’s a female, we’ve lost the potential production of calves for years to come.”

The mammals, which have an oversized lower jaw and can grow to about 15 yards, are attracted to shipping lanes because they like deep water. About 35 percent of right whale deaths are caused by ship collisions.