Two of the planet’s largest animals were sighted off Flagler County on Sunday. The North Atlantic right whale, a critically endangered and locally famous visitor, made its first appearance of the year swimming south along the coast within eyesight of the beach.
The two whales were reportedly a pair of females named Curlew and Koala, which as recently as November were confirmed off the coast of South Carolina by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Though it is common to see a mother and calf swimming together close to shore, that is not believed to be the case for these two whales.
Word of the whales’ appearance quickly spread over Flagler County’s social media groups, leading a handful of lucky residents to catch a glimpse and photograph the whales as they slowly made their way along the coast. Right whales are known for commonly swimming closer to shore than other large whales, making them one of the few of their kind which can be seen with regularity for Atlantic coast Floridians.
Florida’s Colossal Visitors
Curlew and Koala, the two right whales sighted off Flagler Beach, near South Carolina in November. ⓒ Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission
The migration path of the North Atlantic right whale begins in the frigid Atlantic waters of the northern United States and Canada. Starting in the middle of the winter season, the whales are known to move at a slow speed down the eastern coast of America until they come especially near to shore in the southeastern states. Northeast Florida is known as a hot-spot for right whale sightings, with informational signs posted frequently at popular beaches to help beach-goers identify the animals.
At up to 52 feet and 70 tons, North Atlantic right whales are the sixth heaviest and fourth longest whale on Earth. Though their immense size makes them a thrilling spectacle already, their scarcity makes sightings all the more special for those fortunate enough to see one. The NOAA estimates only 370 individual whales are left in the ocean, down from 477 in 2010. Since 2017, the NOAA reports that an ‘unusual mortality event’ has caused populations to diminish even as births stay somewhat consistent.
Threats to Right Whales
ⓒ Tony Caruso
One of the predominant threats to North Atlantic right whales is frequent entanglement with fishing gear. The whales are known to run into lines between bottom-anchored traps and surface buoys, injuring them and causing dangerous infections. The NOAA Fisheries estimates that over 85% of right whales get tangled in fishing gear at least once in their lives.
Also impacting right whale populations are collisions with boats. Right whales spend much of their time near the surface, and thus are especially susceptible to being injured by the propellers on shipping vessels. Further harming right whale populations is ongoing global climate change, affecting the availability of the whales’ food sources and forcing them into different areas of the ocean. This can bring them into waters with a greater risk of boat collisions.
Conservation Funding
Recent years have produced one major initiative to help aid the conservation of the North Atlantic right whale. The NOAA Fisheries received $82 million under the Inflation Reduction Act, a landmark 2022 law spearheaded by the Biden administration, to address the factors leading to right whale mortality. Among that $82 million in funds, almost $36 million will go toward tracking existing whales, over $20 million will combat vessel strikes, and $5 million will contribute to enforcement of existing laws and protections.
