One of the most endangered large whale species is seen each winter in the waters near Amelia Island, Florida, as well as nearby St. Marys and Cumberland Island, Georgia.
Right whale females migrate between November and March to give birth, and are monitored in the waterways off coastal Florida and Georgia by various scientists. Estimates put the number of right whales at perhaps 350 to 400 remaining worldwide, a jet black mammal described as huge – comparable to the size of a school bus.
Reportedly, there's good news of this year's birthing activity – a record number of right whale calves (“at least 32”) have been seen this season as of recent counts.
The Wild Amelia Festival celebrates the local Amelia Island area bioregion with eco-tours, seminars, and exhibits. This year happens to be "The Year of the Right Whale," the featured creature of this event to be held May 15 - 17, 2009. (See Amelia Island Living's Social Network EVENTS section for more about the Wild Amelia Festival and other local events.)
The whales in our area are at risk, since they swim in busy shipping channels in the company of cargo and freight ships as well as Navy ships (Mayport) and Navy subs (Kings Bay Submarine Base, St. Marys). The jet black Trident nuclear subs (of incredibly massive size) can sometimes be spotted off the Fort Clinch State Park pier as they come through the channel to the St. Marys base.
GUARDIAN ANGELS IN THE SKY
Researchers working hard to study and protect the right whales are busy these days, some based here in Fernandina Beach. To go with their cool occupations, they've got a hip hangout, staying at a beach house on Fletcher Avenue. Researchers track the whales carefully by sea and by air, flying planes along the shoreline like guardian angels in the sky, here in the First Coast area of south Georgia and northeast Florida.
Referred to as “eyes in the sky” by one researcher with the New England Aquarium, the planes help to prevent vessel strikes with the whales. Flight crews watch the waters from above and when whales are spotted, they radio alerts to the captains of ships in the area.
Take a look at the researchers' blog entries at the New England Aquarium's web site. February 2009 comments are about the right whale activity around St. Marys, Georgia and northeast Florida. By clicking the above link, you can watch the aerial videos of the right whales here in our area.
I heard of one local boater who spotted the whales this past week off Amelia Island – he managed to get a few photos of the whales with his cell phone. Also, it has been reported that a right whale got tangled (and was later freed) in commercial fishing rope near Cumberland Island. Unfortunately, entanglements are one of the great threats to this endangered species, along with vessel collisions.
Kudos to the efforts of researchers of the New England Aquarium (and others). We hope their stay at the beach in Fernandina is rewarding, too, along with the rich rewards of admirable work to help protect the right whale.
MORE ABOUT EFFORTS TO PROTECT WHALES – EARLY WARNING SYSTEM
Here's more details about official efforts to warn of whale sightings, from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Institute's web site (also visit www.floridamarine.org)...
“The Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) is part of a multi-agency team working to assure right whales are afforded every level of protection while in the Southeast U.S. (SEUS) Critical Habitat. To provide this protection, near real time location information is needed. From December through March four aerial survey teams fly over the waters of Florida and Georgia to locate right whales. Additionally, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Navy and a network of land based volunteer observers are constantly on the lookout for the whales. Any information provided by observers is then reported to the Early Warning System (EWS) network.
Working with the Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Facility at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida, the network disseminates right whale location information to mariners in the waters of Florida and Georgia within half an hour of a right whale sighting via the typical marine communication network and a right whale pager network. Mariners are alerted to the presence of right whales in order to alter course and avoid striking and killing a right whale in the SEUS. Right whales sometimes are struck and killed by ships–that is why the communications network known as the Early Warning System was developed.”
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