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Humpback whale sighting surprises fishermen off Florida Coast
A rare humpback whale sighting off Florida’s Space Coast left a group of fishermen stunned after the massive marine mammal surfaced near their boat over the weekend.
PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. - A trio of fishermen were out about 20 miles off the coast of Port Canaveral over the weekend when they thought another boat was in front of them making large waves. As they got closer, they realized it wasn’t a boat but a massive mammal in the ocean.
"We’re in Florida. You’re thinking sharks stuff like that, but you really don’t see a big giant mammal in the ocean," Alex Difilippo, who was one of the fishermen that saw the whale, said.
Though they remained about the length of three football fields away, they quickly pulled their phones out and were able to document the extremely rare sighting. They even captured video of the whale breaching out of the water. They think it was a pod of whales about 25 feet long that all stayed near their boat for about three minutes.
"To see a humpback whale, I was like yeah I don’t think they ever thought they’d be in this area," Rey Narvaez, who had only seen whales like this before up north in New England, said.
Two of the three fishermen have lived in Florida for decades and are always on the water. They’ve seen sharks and even Right Whales but never a Humpback. It’s an experience they won’t forget.
"I will always remember for the rest of my life," said Austin Difilippo, who called the experience was a bucket list moment for him.
Threats to the whales
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission said humpback whales are native to Florida, but the species is endangered.
The population, that dwindled over the years because of over-harvesting, was given international protection back in 1966.
Getting tangled in nets and hit by boats are the biggest threats they face today. Boaters should always give these animals space. Don’t crowd them or chase them if you see them in the water.
What's next:
These fishermen plan to report their sighting to the Right Whale Network, so researchers can be aware of the whale pod in the area.
The Source: FOX 35 Reporter Esther Bower saw reports of the whale sighting on social media and reached out. She met the fishermen on Jan. 15 to hear about their experience. She referenced information from FWC about the whales online.