One of the most endangered marine mammal species in the world now has one fewer member.
A North Atlantic right whale washed up dead on a North Carolina beach and was discovered Friday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced in a press release.
North Atlantic right whales are classified as critically endangered, and NOAA estimates that fewer than 400 still living in the wild.
The dead male calf was found by the National Park Service on a remote island in the Outer Banks, NOAA said. Scientists discovered no signs of human interaction, instead finding that it died during birth.
Since 2017, 32 right whales have died, according to NOAA. That’s nearly 10% of the species’ estimated population. Only about five to six calves are born each year.
Once prevalent throughout the North Atlantic, right whales were hunted to near extinction in the 1800s.
