Whale ambassadors in Amelia Island ask boaters to watch out for right whales during calving season

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — The critically endangered North Atlantic right whale population is declining rapidly.

Experts with the New England Aquarium said the population declined by 8% last year.

Amelia Island neighbors are working to ensure these gentle giants have a safe calving season right in our waters.

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“They’re here now as we speak,” Amelia Island ambassador Richard Timm said.

It’s calving season for North Atlantic right whales, a critical time for the endangered species to grow its dwindling population of 336.

“The aerial surveys show that they can be anywhere, very close to shore to 30 miles out,” Timm said.

However, not all the calves or whales make it out alive.

“At this point they do not die by natural causes. They die by one of two things: entanglement in fishing gear or a boat strike,” Timm said.

Just last season, there were two reports of killed calves, one of which was hit by a boat near the St. Augustine inlet.

Timm said larger vessels are regulated when it comes to their speed in certain locations to get rid of the threat to whales, but recreational boats are not.

“A recreational boater right now, today, doesn’t have that restriction. But they can do just as much damage,” Timm said.

Timm said fishing gear poses just as big of a threat to whales as the entire boat itself.

Just a few days ago, an entangled whale was spotted off Cumberland Island.

Timm said although population numbers are on the decline, he still has hope.

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“So we kind of created the problem, we can fix it,” Timm said.

You can track right whales in the area here.

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