A North Atlantic right whale has been spotted entangled in fishing gear in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans released a statement on Monday indicating the whale was observed by a research vessel on Saturday (July 15) east of Lamèque, off New Brunswick’s Acadian Peninsula.

DFO says the whale has been identified as EG #4042, a 13-year-old male and the whale appears to be carrying a long trailing line, with no visible buoys.

Marine mammal response partners attempted to respond on Sunday morning but were unable due to poor weather conditions.

Officials say if the whale is located again, and weather and sea conditions allow, efforts will be made to attempt disentanglement.

DFO says it is not yet clear what type of gear the whale is entangled in or where the gear came from.