Three years following the most recent spotting, Right Whale calves were once again seen in the shores of North Carolina in Folly Beach not too far from Charleston.
Right Whales are considered one of the many animals currently listed as endangered. The species is also one of the rarest classification of whales. The Right Whale, which also known as Chimenea, is believed to average 55 feet, a bit longer than a regular school bus. The whale also clocks in at as much as 140,000 pounds - almost as heavy as a space shuttle. The Right Whale got its name because of its slow swimming speeds. The whale only reaches about 8 kilometers per hour and frequently swims near the shore. According to the World Wide Fund, these characteristics makes the Chimenea the "right" and easiest whale to hunt.
It was in 1996 when the Right Whale joined the endangered list after only 263 whales were charted. Thankfully in 2014, the number of new whales in the ocean doubled ultimately reaching an impressive 526.. North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium believes that the specie is finally making its come back.
According to Cynthia Tailor from Sea to Shore Alliance research scientist, one reason why Right Whale sightings are starting to become frequent again is because it is their breeding season.
"Each of the survey teams has had a handful of sightings, but many of them have been re sightings of the same animals. It's still early in the season, so we're hoping things will pick up, but water temperatures are above average, which has been correlated with lower right whale sightings," quipped Tailor.
Despite the breeding explanation, scientists are still up in arms as to the reason why the whales travel the long journey to North Carolina. The whales are suspected to live in the shores of Georgia and Florida.
