10-04-2025
2 endangered North Atlantic Right Whales spotted off of Navarre Pier
SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) — A rare sighting along the Gulf Coast on Saturday as two endangered North Atlantic Right Whales were spotted and reported to Oceana. This is only the fifth time since 2000 that North Atlantic Right Whales have been in the Gulf.
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Oceana North Atlantic Whale Marine Scientist Nora Ives warns boaters in the area to be extra cautious, as these mammals are hard to see.
'They're dark in color, they don't have a dorsal fin, and they like to swim close to the surface,' said Ives.
An estimated 370 North Atlantic Right Whales are left in the wild today. Of those, only around 70 are females, making reproduction chances slim for the species.
These two whales have been named Koala and Curlew, ages 16 and 14.
'Even though Koala and Curlew are mature, neither of them has calved before, so they could be pregnant. We don't know,' said Ives. 'We have not seen them with calves so far and typically, the calving season is winding down right now.'
Ives believes the whales traveled over 2,000 miles to the panhandle from the coast of Jacksonville, where they are most typically found.
'All the other moms and calves have started their migration back to the Northeast, which is their feeding ground,' said Ives.
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Pay extra attention if the whales are spotted, staying back 500 yards. With that being said, if spotted, please report the whale's location immediately to 877-whale-help with Oceana.
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