CLEARWATER, Fla. — Researchers with Clearwater Marine Aquarium say they've made a rare sighting of an endangered whale species.
According to the aquarium, a North Atlantic right whale calf and mother were recently identified. With less than 400 of these whales left in the world, CMA says the spotting is extremely crucial.
North Atlantic right whales are typically found along the Atlantic coast of North America. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, commercial whalers hunted right whales in the Atlantic to the brink of extinction. And while whaling is no longer a threat, NOAA says human interactions are still presenting great danger to the species.
Entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes are the leading causes of death for the species.
