The Canadian government says two more rare North Atlantic right whales have been found dead in the country’s waters, worsening a disastrous year for the marine mammals.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada says the causes of the animals‘ deaths aren’t yet known.
Officials say a necropsy will take place for one of the animals Sunday in Quebec. That whale was spotted in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The other whale was first seen off Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, and was identified Friday.
Right whales number only about 400, and eight of them have been found dead off Canada this year.
The governments of the U.S. and Canada are both working on new protections to shield the animals from threats like fishing gear and ship strikes.