Brief
North Atlantic right whale #5192 spotted off New Jersey after months of entanglements
The five‑year‑old whale, listed as dead or dying for four years, was observed swimming free of gear off Barnegat Inlet, prompting renewed monitoring.
By Felo News Desk · Published
NOAA confirmed that North Atlantic right whale identified as No. 5192 was sighted swimming off Barnegat Inlet, New Jersey, on Oct. 10, according to a statement from NOAA spokesperson Ava DiFabritiis.
What happened
The 5‑year‑old whale, weighing roughly 20 tons and measuring about 35 feet, was first added to NOAA’s Whale Morbidity Case list in December 2022 after researchers found wounds consistent with fishing‑gear entanglement off Southern New England. Despite the designation, the animal continued to grow and was photographed free of gear in Cape Cod Bay on Apr. 14 and again in Massachusetts Bay on Apr. 21, 2026.
In June 2026, aerial observers saw the whale in Canada’s Gulf of St. Lawrence dragging fishing line from its mouth to its tail. Two days later, it was near the Magdalen Islands, where the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada attempted a rescue and to attach a satellite tag, but bad weather prevented the effort. The whale re‑appeared in September off Montauk, New York, and then traveled approximately 700 nautical miles to the New Jersey coast, where it was last seen on Oct. 10.
What the reports add
The New York Post article notes that the whale has been on a federal list of dead and dying whales for four years, yet it “kept swimming” and was observed multiple times without gear. It also mentions that NOAA’s Stranding Network and survey teams have been alerted and are awaiting further sightings.
What was said
“We’re aware of a sighting of North Atlantic right whale #5192 swimming off of Barnegat Inlet, New Jersey, on October 10,” NOAA spokesperson Ava DiFabritiis told The Post.
How it came about
NOAA’s ongoing monitoring of right‑whale morbidity, combined with aerial surveys by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and joint efforts with Canadian authorities, has tracked the whale’s movements since its first documented injury in 2022. Earlier Felo News coverage of marine mammal incidents, such as the humpback whale carcass removal on City Beach (Oct 1, 2026), illustrates the broader challenges facing large cetaceans in North Atlantic waters.
Key facts
- North Atlantic right whale #5192 was sighted off Barnegat Inlet, NJ on Oct. 10, 2026. (nypost.com)
- The whale has been on NOAA’s Whale Morbidity Case list since Dec. 2022. (nypost.com)
- It traveled roughly 700 nautical miles from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Jersey Shore. (nypost.com)
- NOAA’s Stranding Network and survey teams have been alerted to the sighting. (nypost.com)
Timeline
- 2022-12-01 — Whale #5192 first added to NOAA morbidity list after entanglement wounds observed off Southern New England.
- 2026-04-14 — Photographed free of gear in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts.
- 2026-10-10 — Spotted swimming off Barnegat Inlet, New Jersey.
Sources
- [1] nypost.com — originally reported as “Meet the critically endangered whale that refuses to die”
