A grim discovery off Martha's Vineyard this weekend as an endangered North Atlantic right whale was found dead. Wrapped in the all-too-common tale of entanglement, this time a rope caught around the whale's tail, the tragedy has struck a species already on a precarious brink. According to CBS News Boston, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries was alerted to the distressing find on Sunday near Joseph Sylvia State Beach in Edgartown.

The deceased is believed to be juvenile, given her size, and lacks identification at this point - a silent victim to the increasing hazards that these creatures face. "North Atlantic right whales are approaching extinction with approximately 360 individuals remaining, including fewer than 70 reproductively active females," said NOAA. Boat strikes and fishing gear pose deadly obstacles, while climate change continues to cast a long shadow over an uncertain future for these leviathans.

In a coordinated response effort, NOAA Fisheries, alongside the International Fund for Animal Welfare, law enforcement, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, will undertake a necropsy once weather conditions permit. As shared by NBC Boston, the whale was found "with the rope entangled near her tail around the peduncle." This sad event complicates the already troubled waters these animals navigate.

Awareness and observation might offer a glimmer of hope, however. Prior to this unfortunate event, researchers spotted between four and seven right whales in Cape Cod Bay, mere days ago. Sightings of stranded or injured whales, dead or alive, should be reported with due haste, and observers are warned to maintain a respectable 150-foot distance. If you spot such an animal, the Greater Atlantic Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline can be reached at 866-755-6622 and the Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline at 877-942-5343, in an effort to support these gentle giants of the deep.