On February 12 the aerial survey team from the New England Aquarium spotted the first entangled North Atlantic right whale of 2002 (see above photo). An adult male was spotted with fishing line coming from its right side near the mouth and flipper region and across the whale's back. There appears to be a short length of line ending near the flukes and more than 150 feet of line trailing behind. "Sadly, this is an almost ‘typical’ entanglement it seems nowadays" according to Chris Slay at the New England Aquarium. The entanglement does not appear to be life-threatening on a short-term basis. The whale has been identified by researchers at the New England Aquarium as #1424, first sighted in 1981 and last seen in September in the Bay of Fundy, Canada without any fishing gear. There is a chance the whale may free itself of the gear, which happens in many cases.