Thousands Celebrate the Annual Return of Endangered Right Whales to Amelia Island, Florida

Every year, the community of Amelia Island, Florida hosts a festival on Fernandina Beach to celebrate the return of the North Atlantic Right whales as expectant whale moms flock to warmer southern waters to give birth to their calves. Thousands of people attend, and this year Environment Florida got to join in on the festivities!

Learn more about the festival and why this Florida community cares about the right whales.

Some lucky folks get the chance to spot a newborn right whale from the coast of Amelia Island.

Many right whale mothers find the warm waters surrounding Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island to be the perfect place to nurse and rest their calves. Every year, a few lucky people get to experience the rare and incredible sight of a newborn right whale swimming with their mom just a few miles off of the coast. These annual sightings are one of the many reasons the community of Amelia Island celebrates the return of this critically endangered marine mammal every year.

A family-friendly fest celebrating right whales

The energy at the Right Whale Festival was high from the very start – especially since our tent was in a prime viewing spot of the stage filled with various bands over the two day celebration. We watched as families swarmed in, learning about the right whales from educational booths, purchasing whale-themed gifts from local vendors, and eating from the numerous local food trucks. Children played and danced to the live music and parents enjoyed kicking back in a lawn chair at this beachside event. On Sunday, there was even a dog parade where Amelia Island pups got to prance across the festival for all of us to adore.

Environment Florida joined in on the festivities, raising awareness and gathering support for the right whales

It was incredible to see thousands of people learning about the right whales, and many locals had their own stories to tell about these marine marvels. At our booth for Environment Florida, we took the time to listen to the memories of locals reminiscing on the times they’ve seen these rare mammals themselves. In turn, we told the stories of some of our favorite right whale moms – Pico, Dog-ear, and Catalog #1950 – who have led incredible lives and remind us of the needed protections for right whales.

In addition to educating festival goers, we gathered signatures on a petition and small business owner sign-ons calling for NOAA to finalize a rule that would slow down boats in right whale migratory zones. We also had dozens of kids make handmade “save the whale” postcards that will be sent to elected officials in support of right whale protections. They decorated these with markers, crayons, and all kinds of ocean-themed stickers!

Festivals are fun, but extinction is not.

As incredible as it was to celebrate Right whales with so many people, there was also a more somber thread running throughout the days. The message of the festival was clear: we should celebrate right whales, but we also need to save them – before it’s too late.

With only 370 right whales left, we must take action now. One way to do that is to slow down boats. Boat strikes are one of the leading causes of right whale deaths, and was the reason a mom and calf – who were spotted off Amelia Island just this February – died in April of this year. Tragedies like these can be prevented by simply slowing boats down in the areas where right whales are migrating.

Join the fight with the community of Amelia Island by adding your name to the petition to implement this protective rule that would save right whales from boat strikes. Together we can ensure that communities like Amelia Island are able to celebrate a come-back story – not a tragedy