Rare Pacific Right Whale Spotted Off BC Coast...

[deepblue]

For the first time in 62 years! Video and article here:

http://www.theprovince.com/news/Rare+majestic+whale+spotted+waters+researcher+firs t+time+years/8550472/story.html

I love how he (or she) is just sitting there in the water, like, "I am watching you watching me..."


After spending his entire career hoping to spot a rare North Pacific right whale, researcher John Ford had given up ever being able to see one of the rarest animals on earth.
The last time one of the majestic mammals was seen off the coast of B.C. was in 1951 — before the 58-year-old scientist was even born.
That was until last week, when Ford and fellow department of fisheries and oceans whale researchers James Pilkington and Graeme Ellis spent a day near Haida Gwaii monitoring a whale that’s the size of a semi-trailer and weighs more than 20 SUVs combined.
“It was a thrilling experience,” said Ford. “We would never have imagined that we would be able to see one. They are critically endangered and extremely rare.”



The rest of the article is at the link. This brings tears to my eyes, in the best way. One of my fave whales of all time. <3

[spottedcatfish]

cool!

[MerMarla]

Hi DeepBlue! I can well imagine how excited Dr Ford is about this! I, too, got very lucky on a whale watch years ago,(special event fund raiser trip) with Dr. Roger Payne, PhD (known for his work on humpback whale song, among other accomplishments). We were really lucky that day, we had seen dolphins, fin, humpback, minke and a pod of pilot whales. I was quite pleased with the sightings. Until Roger, with almost whispered breath, announced there was a North Atlantic Right Whale within 100 feet-ish of us. We were so ecstatic, everyone rushed to the same side and the boat with a wave tipped perioulsly close to the water, but we really didn't care as we all saw a 2nd spout. It was her calf, and they were almost next to the boat! Roger could hardly speak, he was so excited, as were we all. The boat, engines off, was so quiet, you could only hear the spouting of the whales at rest at the surface. I thought also I would never get to see one, and here were two almost within arms reach! The calf was about 3/4 the length of the boat, about 30-ish feet. It was getting dark as we came back to Cape May, (North of Boston) we stayed as long as we could. Roger's photos did reveal it was a whale they had records of, and was sooo wonderful to see her calf. I KNOW how exciting it can be! WOW!

Thanks for posting the link, I really enjoyed it!

(((HUGz))) and Bubble https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/e/B0C'z
Mermaid Marla

[AniaR]

I heard about this on CBC! When I did World Ocean's Day, Irving had a whole booth about the right whale and trying to protect it, was really interesting.

[deepblue]

I really should have been a marine biologist... it's where my love is and it feeds my soul. <3