Rare newborn right whale calves make rare visit to the Florida coast

Wildlife officials in Florida said a group of endangered right whales made a rare appearance off the coast of Ponte Bedra Beach, and they included two new calves.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute said two females named Caterpillar and Blackheart were spotted near the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve on Dec. 30.

Each whale was accompanied by a newborn calf.

Researchers said both whale moms are 20 years old. Caterpillar is a first-time mother, while Blackheart had one calf previously.

"Right whales have been sighted all along the Eastern Seaboard in recent weeks," researchers wrote. "Low visibility and windy conditions can hamper research efforts locally, sometimes for extended periods of time."