Right whale calf, mother spotted in Atlantic off Florida

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida conservationists are reporting a right whale calf sighting off the state’s Atlantic coast.

In a Facebook post , the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute said it’s the first calf sighting of the critically endangered whale’s winter calving season.

Wildlife officials said the calf and its mother were spotted Friday offshore near the mouth of the St. Johns River. The commission said the mother had been spotted five days ago off the Georgia coast.

Right whales typically migrate from the North Atlantic to give birth off the coasts of Georgia and Florida from December through March.

Scientists estimate only about 450 North Atlantic right whales remain. No newborns were reported during the last calving season, and just five calves were counted during the previous year.