Right whales face challenges in Florida waters

U.S. Navy exercises and the resulting concern for marine animals isn't new. Usually, you hear about sonar possibly causing marine mammals like dolphins and whales to beach themselves despite the Navy's insistence sonar doesn't do any harm.

Navy exercises off Florida's eastern coast and in the Gulf of Mexico, which are close to being approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service, could cause two million deaths of marine mammals each year, according to the current issue of Right Whale News, a newsletter produced by the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium. That number is the Navy's own estimate, according to the article.

Right whale proponents are alarmed because an undersea warfare training site could be located off Jacksonville -- key calving grounds for the North Atlantic right whale, which numbers only in the hundreds. And considering a record number of the whales have been entangled this winter (calving season) off the Florida and Georgia coasts where the whales give birth, according to The Boston Globe, this is even more bad news for the highly endangered species.

The Right Whale News article reported, "The Navy has rejected a long list of mitigation measures that could reduce the harmful impacts of its sonar training, including seasonal restrictions during the right whale calving period and geographic exclusions of the right whale calving ground." See the article for more details.

Image from North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium site

Dwarf sperm whale tries to give birth, dies at Florida state park

A dwarf sperm whale beached itself at Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park and died last week, a recent Naples Daily News article reports. The whale had an enlarged heart, which is apparently common with this species, and on top of that was trying to give birth. The whale calf was premature, and both whales died.

The article says beachgoers tried to help the whale but that a NOAA biologist said it's best for onlookers to leave stranded animals alone and to call for help (888-404-3922) instead. I personally wouldn't know how to help a whale or any other marine animal! But I can certainly understand people having a desire to help. I guess it's still best to leave a whale rescue to the experts (who basically said in the article there was nothing that could have been done).

photo by NOAA

Endangered northern right whale found dead off coast

A fisherman spotted the dead calf some 200 yards off the coast of Mayport, near Jacksonville - Jan. 26, Florida Today

Biologists play nanny for birthing right whales

The coastline off northeastern Florida and southeastern Georgia is about to turn into a gigantic birthing room and nursery for the North Atlantic right whale - Nov. 28, Morris News Service

Feds ban gill nets as right whale season begins

Gill net fishing in federal waters off the southeastern Atlantic coast will be banned for the North Atlantic right whale calving season that begins this week - Nov. 17, Daytona Beach News-Journal

Stranded pilot whale dies in Key Largo

The whale, about 12 1/2 feet in length and weighing approximately 1,000 pounds, was transported by truck to the Marine Mammal Conservancy after it stranded Monday in Everglades National Park, near Chokoloskee - Nov. 14, AP