Florida has 64 documented North Atlantic right whale records, a small number for a species NatureServe ranks S1, critically imperiled in the state, matching its critically endangered global status. Two dozen of those came through iNaturalist, unusually high for a whale, showing that when this species does appear off Florida, people notice and report it.
January is by far the peak month, with 30 records, followed by 18 in February. That timing lines up with the calving season, when mothers and calves use these coastal waters before heading back north. Records fall off sharply after March, though that doesn’t rule out use of the area outside the recorded months.
