Coastal boaters and anglers, North Atlantic right whales are back! The season's first mom and calf, catalog No. 4190 (Curlew) and her newborn, were seen about 11 nautical miles off St. Augustine Inlet, Fla., Tuesday.
Another adult female, No. 2223 (Calvin), has also been spotted migrating south toward the Southeast U.S. calving grounds.
The waters off Georgia and north Florida are considered the core calving grounds for these endangered whales. And boaters and anglers are key to helping spot and report sightings, which helps alert others on the water and reduce the risk of vessel collisions, a threat to right whales and boaters.
Mother-calf pairs spend much of their time near the surface. Right whales are also slow moving and can be difficult to spot despite their enormous size.
How can you help? Please:
Be aware! Look for signs (black objects on surface, large slashes, whitewater, v-shaped spouts). Check the whale alert app or whalemap.org for possible whereabouts.
Boat safely! Go slow, hit neutral/assess if you see a whale, stay 500 yards away, and double down at night and other low-light periods.
Report ASAP! Contact 877-WHALE-HELP (877-942-5343) or the Coast Guard on marine VHF channel 16. Note the time, position and number of whales.
