By: Melissa Zhao

After more than a century an exceptionally rare North Atlantic right whale has been spotted, raising hopes that this species of whale could once again thrive in our world. There were once thousands of North Atlantic right whales living peacefully in the Atlantic Ocean, but by the end of the 1800s, the whales were nearly hunted to extinction.

The whale was seen off the coast of Ireland, in the County of Donegal on Monday, July 15, reported by the IWDG (the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group). The North Atlantic right whale, a critically endangered species, was peacefully swimming near Sliabh Liag. It is believed that there are fewer than 350 left all over the world with less than 70 females.

The last time the whale was positively identified was all the way back to 1910. The North Atlantic right whale has been on the endangered species list for around 55 years. Human interference continues to impact the population and threatens the survival of this species.

The North Atlantic right whales are known to be relatively friendly and are not usually scared of boats. For many centuries, the whales were prey for whalers, who earned lots of money for capturing and killing the whales, which are now endangered. Most of the North Atlantic right whales are now being killed from colliding with dangerous fishing gear and the boats filling the crowded coastline.

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group have requested to give the endangered whale space, and to leave it alone and only observe the whale from shore using optics like binoculars. The group is determined to help the whale thrive once again and is doing everything it can to defend the whales using the full protection of Irish law.

Article Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/cn08z44g8z3o

Image Credit by Pixabay