Scientists begin necropsy on north Atlantic right whale

A team of scientists began the necropsy Friday on thenorth Atlantic right whale found dead in the Gulf of St. Lawrence earlier this week.

The nine-year-old whale, named Wolverine, is the first right whale death reported in 2019 after no deaths were reported in Canadian waters last year.

Wolverine was towed to shore on Miscou Island, where more than 20 people from the scientific community sliced began to collect tissue samples and gather measurements to help determine the cause of death.

Scientists won't know the results of the necropsy until months from now, however.

Necropsy performed on right whale whose death was not natural, scientists say

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Scientists say the death of the first north Atlantic right whale in Canadian waters this year was not a natural death.

Stphanie Ratelle, a biologist for the Fisheries and Oceans Canada, said there are only417 right whales left in the world.

"There's a lot of work going on from the government to industry to research to the academics everyone is working very hard to protect these animals, so this is incredibly disheartening," Ratelle said.

"Any mortality is detrimental to the population."

Scientists have said it's unlikely the whale died of natural causes.Wolverine was found belly up in a pool of bloodoff Quebec's Gasp coast during an aerial surveillance flight on Tuesday.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada,the Marine Animal Response Society and researchers from the University of Prince Edward Island and the University of Montreal are working together to perform the necropsy.