Newborn endangered whale calves spotted off Georgia, Florida coasts
Birth of Endangered Right Whales Welcomed by US Wildlife Officials (Credit: Georgia DNR - Wildlife Resources Division via Storyful).
Sightings of newborn North Atlantic right whales off the Georgia and Florida coasts in January were welcomed by wildlife officials and conservationists as an encouraging sign for the critically endangered species.
Footage from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division shows one calf – the 13th of the season – accompanied by its 14-year-old mother near Wassaw Island on January 19, the division said.
A 14th calf was spotted off Florida’s Amelia Island on Wednesday, the division later wrote in a Facebook update.
The non-profit Defenders of Wildlife said the births represented the best calving season in years for the imperilled whales.