ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — A species on the verge of extinction is showing up again along the First Coast.
The North Atlantic Right Whale was spotted off the south Georgia and north Florida shores a few times since the weekend.
"We went surf fishing Sunday morning," Mike Babb said. He then noticed something in the waves off South Ponte Vedra. "Out of nowhere I saw one whale breach, so I hurried up and grabbed the phone."
Babb shot some video of North Atlantic Right Whales.
"They stayed in front of us for a good 15 – 20 minutes," Babb recalled.
Researchers believe Babb saw one of two mother and calf pairs of right whales that have been spotted since this weekend along the First Coast.
Video and photos from Cumberland Island to Flagler Beach show these pairs.
"There could be whales out there we’re not seeing yet," Jim Hain of the Marineland Right Whale Project said. "The only ones we are seeing are the ones coming close to shore."
This is the time of year the females migrate from the New England waters to warmer waters here to have their babies. Hain said it is believed this year that there are only 350 right whales left on the earth, a number that keeps dropping.
"If you do the arithmetic, in order for the right whale population to be healthy, we would love to see 20 – 25 claves each year born," Hain explained. "We haven’t see those kind of numbers in 5 – 8 years."
The leading causes of death are boat strikes and entanglement in fishing gear, both caused by humans.
"People think that extinction is eminent," Hain said. "I would say that’s the majority of opinion. There’s tremendous concern."
One calf this year has already died, spotted off the Carolinas. It was a stillborn. "It’s not unusual," Hain explained. "It does happen."
So seeing one of the gentle giants, which can be as long as a semi-trailer, and much rarer, can make your day.
"It was one of those days you don’t see very often," Babb recalled. "With the sunrise, catching fish and then seeing the whales… you know, it was an absolute and complete day."