Noaa Fisheries announces that on February 2, 2025, North Atlantic right whales were sighted in the waters off coastal Alabama, Mississippi, and the western panhandle of Florida.
Right whales are slow-moving animals that are prone to collisions with vessels. Vessel operators are reminded to use caution around right whales and operate at a safe speed. Intentionally approaching right whales is prohibited and may result in a violation of federal law. Federal law requires mariners to avoid right whales by at least 500 yards; this includes boats, drones, and paddleboats. Please report all right whale sightings to (877) WHALE-HELP or to the Coast Guard via VHF-FM channel 16.
Right whale sightings in the Gulf are extremely rare. In fact, I can only find one example in recent history. Capt. Robert Holzinger captured this footage Jan. 2018.
Besides our main focus of great whites in Gulf waters, this blog is dedicated to the mysteries of the Gulf, other sharks and even unique marine mammal sightings like this one.
Northern right whales are an endangered species with only 370 individuals left according to NOAA officials. We’ll keep you posted as we get more info on this truly interesting story.
Gulf Great White Sharks Seminar
The Houston Fishing Show at the George R. Brown Convention Center will host a special seminar by Chester Moore, Editor-In-Chief of Texas Fish & Game and founder of the Gulf Great White Sharks project. Moore’s seminar, titled “The Return of the Great White and Other Giant Sharks in Texas Waters,” is set to shed light on fascinating developments in shark populations along the Texas coastline.
It will take place 1:45 p.m. Saturday Feb. 15.
Moore will discuss an increase in sightings and activity of great white sharks and other large species in the Gulf of Mexico. He plans to discuss key findings, including tracking data from tagged sharks, such as “LeeBeth,” a large great white tagged by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy that showed up at South Padre Island in 2024.
These insights provide an in-depth look at why these apex predators are making a resurgence in local waters and what it means for the Gulf’s ecosystem.
The seminar will also explore other large sharks on the Texas coast including tigers, great hammerheads and makos.
The seminar is scheduled as part of the Houston Fishing Show’s lineup of educational events. For anyone interested in learning more about sharks in Texas waters, this is a must-attend session.
All attendees will get a special Gulf Great White Sharks decal. The first 10 kids (please bring your kids) get a shark book.
For the full Houston Fishing Show seminar schedule click here.
Follow Chester Moore and Higher Calling Wildlife® on the following social media platforms
@thechestermoore on Instagram
Higher Calling Wildlife on Facebook
Email Chester at chester@chestermoore.com.
Subscribe to the Dark Outdoors and Higher Calling Wildlife podcasts on all major podcasting platforms.
Leave a Reply