Fishermen catch ‘rare’ glimpse of endangered creatures near Alabama shore, video shows
Two endangered North Atlantic right whales were spotted swimming along the Alabama coast in what experts called a “rare” sight for the region.
Captain Bobby Kelly with the Gulf Shores Fishing Charters was headed out Feb. 2 with a group on the Gulf Coast when they encountered the female whales, he said in a Feb. 3 Facebook video.
“It was totally cool seeing them,” Kelly said in the video. “Just in awe of seeing an animal that big that God created for us to see.”
The whales were identified by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as “Koala” and “Curlew.” The pair was seen about a month ago along the east coast of Florida, experts said in a Feb. 3 Facebook post.
According to researchers, little is known about how right whales move from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, which President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order renaming as the Gulf of America.
“Right whale sightings in the Gulf of Mexico are rare, but not unexpected,” the FWC said.
The last time right whales were seen in the area was 2020, when a mother-calf pair was spotted, researchers said.
What to know about right whales
Right whales are protected under the Endangered Species Act, according to the FWC. There are approximately 370 North Atlantic right whales are known to exist, with 70 breeding females.
The creatures are “slow-moving” and have a high risk of crashing into vessels, according to experts.
The FWC advises to slow down and leave the area if you see a right whale.
This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Fishermen catch ‘rare’ glimpse of endangered creatures near Alabama shore, video shows."
