Whale watchers have fanned out across the east coast of the state in search of right whales and their young this winter but a pair of a different species of whale was spotted this week.
Aerial crews from the Marineland Right Whale Project spotted a humpback whale Monday about two miles off the coast near the Volusia and Flagler County line. It was in the area of Highbridge Road.
A day later the crews got a picture of a second humpback about a half mile from shore off Flagler Beach.
Spotters believe they are two separate whales because of the coloring.
The crews in the airplane also reported seeing more than 100 loggerhead and 60 leatherback sea turtles in the water.
Humpback Whales
Weight: |
25-40 tons (50,000-80,000 pounds; 22,000-36,000 kg); newborns weigh about 1 ton (2,000 pounds; 900 kg) |
Length: |
up to 60 feet (18 m), with females larger than males; newborns are about 15 feet (4.5 m) long |
Appearance: |
primarily dark grey, with some areas of white |
Lifespan: |
about 50 years |
Diet: |
tiny crustaceans (mostly krill), plankton, and small fish; they can consume up to 3,000 pounds (1360 kg) of food per day |
Behavior: |
breaching (jumping out of the water), or slapping the surface |
Loggerhead Turtles
Weight: | Adult: 250 pounds (113 kg) Hatchling: 0.05 pounds (20 g) |
Length: | Adult: 3 feet (~1 m) Hatchling: 2 inches (4 cm) |
Appearance: | reddish-brown, slightly heart-shaped top shell ("carapace") with pale yellowish bottom shell ("plastron"); hatchlings are brown to dark gray |
Lifespan: | unknown, but they reach sexual maturity at around 35 years old |
Diet: | whelks and conch |
Behavior: | females nest from April-September and generally lay 3-5 nests per season |
Leatherback sea turtles
Weight: | Adult: up to 2,000 pounds (900 kg) Hatchling: 1.5-2 ounces (40-50 g) |
Length: | Adult: 6.5 feet (2 m) Hatchling: 2-3 inches (50-75 cm) |
Appearance: | primarily black shell with pinkish-white coloring on their belly |
Lifespan: | unknown |
Diet: | soft-bodied animals, such as jellyfish and salps |
Behavior: | females lay clutches of approximately 100 eggs several times during a nesting season, typically at 8-12 day intervals |
Information from NOAA Fisheries