Joe Howlett was a man of the water. In the small communities along the Bay of Fundy, his name was synonymous with rescue. He didn't just understand whales; he felt a tangible responsibility for them.
The tragedy that took his life in 2017 sent shockwaves through the maritime conservation community. Attempting to free a North Atlantic right whale from entanglement, a task he had performed successfully dozens of times, the outcome shifted in a heartbeat.
As we look at the remaining population of these giants, we are faced with a stark reality: extinction is not a distant possibility, but a ticking clock. The question remains—is human intervention enough when the environment itself has turned against the species?