Whale and her calf spotted off Daytona Beach Shores | FOX 35 Orlando
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Whale and her calf spotted off Daytona Beach Shores

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Updated  March 4, 2025 11:11am EST
Pets and Animals
FOX 35 Orlando

Rare right whales in Daytona Beach

A Florida man caught a pair of rare right whales off the coast of Daytona Beach Shores while flying his drone. FOX 35's Kelsie Cairns has more.

The Brief

    • A Deltona man captured rare drone footage of a North Atlantic right whale and her calf near Sunglow Fishing Pier, a sighting made extraordinary due to the species’ critically low population of about 350 individuals.
    • Experts confirm that these whales migrate to Florida’s Atlantic coast to give birth before returning north, and officials urge the public to report sightings to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

ORLANDO, Fla. - In a once-in-a-lifetime sighting, a Deltona man captured video of two whales.

James Brody saw the whale and her calf Saturday morning.

"My buddies and I were hoping to surf on Saturday. The waves were a little flat and one of [them] pointed out some splashing about 1500 feet out," Brody said.

He says as soon as he saw the splashing, he put up his drone and what happened next was extraordinary.

"I had no idea how big of an impact it was going to have," he said.

The group of friends watched the whales swim in the ocean near Sunglow Fishing Pier and mother and calf made their way north.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed to FOX35 the whales were North American Right Whales.

Carly Metcalf is an education coordinator at the Marine Discovery Center in New Smyrna Beach.

She says the markings on the whales’ heads identify them.

"They have those big white callosities on the tops of their faces that are all individual to each whale," Metcalf said.

Callosities are calluses that right whales develop over time.

Seeing the marine mammals in Volusia County is rare.

Metcalf said, "As a whole, seeing a North Atlantic right whale is pretty rare because there’s only about 350 individuals left in the wild."

So, what are they doing in Central Florida?

Metcalf says right whales migrate to Florida’s Atlantic coast to give birth.

"They travel down from the North East. The moms have their babies here in these shallow waters. They take care of baby for a little bit and then they’re going to turn around and head back up the East Coast," she said.

If you spot a whale, FWC says call the agency right away to report it.

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The Source: The information in this article comes from reporting done by FOX 35's Kelsie Cairns.

Pets and AnimalsVolusia CountyDaytona Beach