Captain makes once-in-a-lifetime sighting while scanning horizon off US coast: 'Everybody was screaming and hollering'
Two North Atlantic right whales, which are critically endangered, were spotted off the coast of Florida this past March.
Gulf Coast News reported that Captain Ryan Goebel from Sea Trek Charters first saw the whales by Fort Myers Beach.
"I'm driving in like normal, just like always," Goebel told the news outlet. "And I look off to the left side, and I see something in the distance ... So I pop up binoculars, and as soon as I pull them up, I see a blowhole shoot up in the air, and I'm like, that's a whale."
Sea Trek Charters mate Chris Paul also commented to Gulf Coast News, "Everybody was screaming and hollering and jumping around, pushing everybody out of the way to try to get pictures. It was wild."
The whales were then seen a day later near Caxambas Pass, which is close to Marco Island.
The whales are named Koala and Curlew. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says they are named after koala- and curlew shorebird-shaped callosities, respectively. Callosities are rough, raised patches of skin on right whales' heads.
Koala and Curlew's appearance is even more incredible considering that, per the NOAA, North Atlantic right whales have only been seen four times in the Gulf of Mexico since 2000.
An assessment of Curlew in April 2024 concluded that there is a high probability she is currently pregnant, but she hasn't been seen with a calf since then.
Pregnancies are a big deal for North Atlantic right whales because of their critically endangered status. There are only about 370 of them left. According to the World Wildlife Fund, fishing gear and warming oceans are some of their biggest threats.
The NOAA advises that everyone should stay 500 yards away from whales in the wild. It's also important to report sightings to 877-WHALE-HELP ((877) 942-5343).
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The NOAA and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission observe whales like these and others to help keep them safe. By taking care of the whales, we keep our fishing practices balanced and our planet healthy.
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