Wild Amelia
Press Release
November 27, 2018 3:00 p.m.
To celebrate the return of the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whales to Amelia’s offshore waters in December, Wild Amelia will present a Wild Nite on these magnificent mammals on Tuesday, December 11, at 7 pm at the Peck Center, 516 S. 10th Street in Fernandina. Katie Jackson of the Right Whale Aerial Monitoring Team of Florida Fish and Wildlife will be the guest speaker.
Right whales, called “right” because their slow movement on the surface of the ocean made them the “right” ones for whalers to hunt, are no longer hunted. However, boat strikes and net entanglements continue to diminish their numbers. It is thought there may be only 400-500 left. Climate change may also be problematic for their survival, as food supplies may dwindle and send the whales further north to feed.
Right whales come to waters off northeast Florida and southeast Georgia to give birth from December through March; this area is their only known calving ground. Last year, however, no calves were spotted by aerial surveillance. Hopefully, the news will be better this season.
Join Wild Amelia for our Wild Nite on whales and bring your questions. The program is free and open to the public. It is one of nine monthly nature forums presented by Wild Amelia. For more information about the year-round programs of Wild Amelia, please visit wildamelia.org and Wild Amelia on Facebook.