Whales near extinction spotted along the Space Coast: 'A marvel'

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - North Atlantic right whales were spotted off the coast of Brevard near Canova Park on Wednesday.

There are less than 400 of them left in the world, and boat strikes are the biggest threat.

The backstory:

Whenever a right whale and her calf are reported, researchers follow closely with a drone from above to track where they’re heading. They need to warn ports and vessels about the whale sighting so they can steer clear.

The whale spotted on Wednesday is a first-time mom who’s 19 years old, according to experts from right whale Sighting Network.

"These animals are a marvel now more than ever, just in the oceans with climate change, pollution, so I think it’s very important we are excited and take joy in seeing such creatures because it’s rare, and it’s getting more rare," said Eloise O’Bryan, who saw the whale for herself.

This isn’t the first right whale sighting on the Space Coast recently.

A few weeks ago, another mama whale and her calf were spotted in Melbourne Beach near the Sebastian Inlet. Experts are confident this new sighting is a different mom and baby.

What you can do:

If you ever think you’ve spotted a Right Whale, call the sighting network at 888-979-4253 and give your location and what time you saw it.

You can tell a right whale by looking for a few things: white spots on the head, no dorsal fin on the back and water coming out in a "V" shape from the whale’s blowholes.

Never harass these whales. Boats have to stay at least 500 yards away at all times, and it’s illegal to harass the whales.

What's next:

As the temperature in northeast waters keeps dropping, it’s likely more of these whales will head to the Sunshine State, so be on the lookout.