Entangled North Atlantic right whale spotted in Gulf of St. Lawrence

An entangled North Atlantic right whale has been spotted in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

DFO says the whale, confirmed to be a female known as Chiminea by the New England Aquarium, was spotted off Anticosti Island by a Transport Canada aerial surveillance team on Wednesday.

"We do not yet know the type of gear that the whale is entangled in or where the gear came from," said the department in a statement Thursday.

This isn't the first timeChiminea, who was born in 2008,has been entangled in fishing gear.

According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationshe was caught in trap pot gear in 2011.

DFO said more flights will be scheduled, weather permitting, to try and locatethe whale again.

The department said it's also working with partner groups to determine how to respond.

DFOis warning the public not to approach the whaleor to attempt a rescue effort.

"Responding to an entanglement is dangerous, and our partners need space and time to safely do their work," DFOsaid.

There are approximately336 North Atlantic right whales, according to DFO, and the species is listed as endangered undertheSpecies at Risk Act.

The federal government became more involved in protecting the speciesafter after 17 whales died in2017. Forty-onehave died since then.