An injured fin whale with no tail has been found in the Mediterranean

By Rowan Hooper

A fin whale in the Mediterranean has no tail after colliding with ships

Clara Monaco/MareCamp

A disabled fin whale that has become a mascot for a marine sanctuary in the Mediterranean has suffered a second disaster. Already missing half its tail after a collision with a ship, it has now lost the other half, possibly following another impact, or after getting caught in fishing line.

Strikes by ships and entanglement in fishing gear are the leading threats to whale populations globally, according to a report by the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

Fin whales are the world’s second-largest animal …