The North Atlantic right whale, nicknamed Chiminea, was seen swimming near Folly Beach, just miles from Charleston.

The right whales, which can also be found off the coasts of Georgia and Florida, seem to be increasing slowly in number. The number of living whales in 2014 was two times the number reported in 1996. On Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said biologists spotted three new right whale calves off the coast of Georgia in just two days.

All right whales are identified and cataloged using numbers, according to the organization.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Cox Enterprises CEO Alex Taylor and AJC Publisher Andrew Morse were joined by AJC editors and Atlanta business react during the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in Midtown on Friday, January 24, 2025.
(Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

Austin Walters died from an overdose in 2021 after taking a Xanax pill laced with fentanyl, his father said. A new law named after Austin and aimed at preventing deaths from fentanyl has resulted in its first convictions in Georgia, prosecutors said. (Family photo)

Credit: Family photo