Four Endangered Whales Were Just Spotted Off The Coast Of Georgia
In good news — four North Atlantic Right Whales were recently spotted off the coast of Georgia.
According to the NOAA Fisheries Division, this species of whale has been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act since 1970.
The Wildlife Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reported that the pod consisted of two moms and two calves.
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These are the first two live calves seen this winter in the Southeast, which is the only known calving grounds of these whales.
When the calves were spotted, it was welcoming news to wildlife workers at the DNR and NOAA who track the whales.
The marine mammals were hunted to near extinction for their valuable oil by the early 1890s.
Now, North Atlantic Right Whales are one of the rarest of all the large whales with the current population estimated to be around 400.
The DNR, NOAA, and their partners are actively looking for more Right Whales.