On January 16, 2026, an aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute was flying the coast when it spotted right whale #1243, known as Magic, with a new calf about 10 miles east of Amelia Island. She was 44 years old, and it was her eighth known calf. NOAA Fisheries recorded the sighting in its log of the 2026 season, along with a photo of mother and calf swimming off the island.
Magic was one of several mothers documented close to this coast last winter. By the time that season ended, it was the best calving year for North Atlantic right whales in nearly two decades. Much of it happened in water that people at Main Beach see every day. This year's Right Whale Festival, on November 7 and 8, is a week before the next season officially begins.
The mothers found off this stretch of coast
NOAA's season log names each mother-calf pair and where survey teams first saw them. Five of the entries describe water off Amelia Island or the St. Marys River entrance:
| Mother | Date documented | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Millipede, #3520, third known calf | December 3, 2025 | About 5 miles east of the St. Marys River entrance |
| Bermuda, #3780, second known calf | December 23, 2025 | About 12 miles east of the St. Marys River entrance |
| Boomerang, #2503, fifth known calf | January 1, 2026 | About 9 miles east of the St. Marys River entrance |
| Skittle, #3260 | January 5, 2026 | About 18 miles east of the St. Marys River entrance |
| Magic, #1243, eighth known calf | January 16, 2026 | About 10 miles east of Amelia Island |
Over about six weeks, from early December to mid-January, survey teams logged pairs anywhere from 5 to 18 miles off the island's north end. Other mothers turned up farther south. Ghost, #1515, a nearly 50-year-old whale with her ninth known calf, was first reported by volunteers about half a mile off Flagler Beach on January 30. The last pair of the season was Mirror, #4617, a 10-year-old first-time mother. She and her calf were seen just beyond the surf at Crescent Beach on March 14.
Why 23 calves is a bigger number than it sounds
NOAA's season summary from April 30, 2026 counts 23 calves, the most since 2009.
Twenty of the 23 mothers had calved before. Thirteen of those last had a calf in the 2021 or 2022 season. NOAA notes that this gap is much shorter than the recent average of 7 to 10 years between births, and closer to the healthy interval of 3 to 4 years. So the same females are having calves more often, and that matters more for a population this small than any single good year.
There were also more whales in Southeast waters. NOAA counted about 500 sightings of 129 individual right whales during the 2026 season: 23 mothers, 23 calves, 20 adult females without calves, 39 adult males, and 24 juveniles and yearlings. The agency says that is more than a quarter of the population, not counting new calves, and a 29 percent increase over the previous season.
To see how small the population is, look at the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium's latest estimate. It puts the population at 384 whales in 2024. That figure was announced October 21, 2025. NOAA's species page rounds it to about 380, with about 70 reproductively active females. Against roughly 70 breeding females, 23 calves in one season is a large share.
Who files the reports from Amelia's beaches
NOAA says public reports help shape the season's numbers. Sightings come from aerial and vessel surveys, members of the public, the volunteer sighting network, military vessels, and dredging operations.
The best-known organized shore network in Northeast Florida is the Marineland Right Whale Project. It covers about 70 nautical miles of coast from Ponte Vedra Beach to Ponce Inlet. That range stops well south of Nassau County, even though the table above shows several of last winter's mothers were found off Nassau County.
The local group closest to that role is the Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors. Its stated mission is education, awareness, and collaboration. This year, the festival calendar lists a Blue World Research Institute training on spotting and reporting whales from shore. It takes place November 9 at 6 p.m. at the Courtyard Amelia Island, the night after the festival ends. For anyone who walks the beach often in winter, that session may be the most useful part of the week.
The festival weekend, as listed
The Whale Ambassadors organize a wider Right Whale Week, running October 30 through November 8, 2026. Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute and NOAA Fisheries are the festival's co-hosts. That's the same research group that photographed Magic off the island in January. The festival is at Main Beach Park, 32 N. Fletcher Ave. It runs Saturday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, November 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and admission is free.
Times below are from the festival's schedule page and may change:
- Friday, November 6, 11:30 a.m.: Lecture luncheon at Story & Song Center for Arts & Culture
- Friday, November 6, 7:30 p.m.: "A Whale of a Party" at the Tigre Room
- Saturday, November 7, 9 a.m.: Beach cleanup before the festival opens at 10 a.m.
- Saturday, November 7, 1 p.m.: Skate contest, after a day that opens with live music at 10 a.m.
- Sunday, November 8, 9 a.m.: Beach yoga
- Sunday, November 8, 10 a.m.: The 35-mile #LiveLikeJessica bicycle ride
- Sunday, November 8, noon: Dog parade
On the grounds, organizers list more than 100 exhibitors from marine conservation and outdoor recreation groups, along with scientists, kids' activities, whale bones and baleen, life-size whale inflatables, art, and food vendors.
Some things are different from 2025. The festival is a week later than last year, when it was held November 1 and 2. It's still at Main Beach Park with the same hours. The expert luncheon has moved from the Courtyard Amelia Island to Story & Song, and there's now a Friday evening party. The Saturday cleanup isn't new. Keep Nassau Beautiful also held one before the 2025 festival.
Once the season opens
NOAA says the Southeast calving season runs from mid-November to mid-April. The federal seasonal speed zone for the Southeast nursery grounds starts November 15. If you see one from the beach, NOAA's guidance works like this:
- Look for the signs. These include dark shapes in the water, splashes or whitewater, and a V-shaped spout. NOAA warns that right whales are hard to see at the surface.
- Call it in. NOAA's Southeast hotline is 877-WHALE-HELP, or (877) 942-5343. Give the date, time, location, and a description of the whale, plus any photos or video. Marineland's project has its own number, 1-888-979-4253, for its survey area to the south.
- Keep your distance. Federal rules prohibit approaching or staying within 500 yards of a right whale, which is 1,500 feet. The rule covers boats, other watercraft, and aircraft, including drones. If you fly a drone over the beach in winter, the rule applies to you.
For boaters leaving the St. Marys entrance or Nassau Sound, NOAA's current rule requires most vessels 65 feet or longer to go 10 knots or slower in seasonal management areas. NOAA encourages smaller boats to do the same voluntarily. In March 2026, NOAA published an advance notice in the Federal Register. It asked for input on updating the seasonal limits or replacing them with other measures, and comments closed June 2, 2026. As of NOAA's September update, that was still an advance notice, not a final rule. The existing limits apply this winter.
The next number arrives the week after the festival
The Consortium's 2026 annual meeting is November 16–17, eight days after the festival ends and one day after the speed zone takes effect. As of mid-October, the Consortium had not released a newer estimate, so 384 is still the most recent precise figure. It describes 2024, so it predates last winter's calves.
If you have friends or family visiting for festival weekend and want suggestions for the island beyond Main Beach, Maria Pinto Malek is glad to share what she knows. Let's connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
