“A beacon of hope has turned into a tragedy.”

Greg Reilly, a southeast marine campaigner for International Fund for Animal Welfare, regarding the year’s first confirmed death of a baby right whale from collision with a ship. There are fewer than 360 North Atlantic right whales left in the world, making every baby vitally important to the future of the species. The federal government has been working on new ship speed rules designed to protect whales from injuries and deaths, but new policies have not been finalized. (Associated Press — March 5, 2024)