Florida whales?

[FL_DVLover]

I was out with my brother and some friends last weekend about 25 miles off the coast of Daytona Beach looking for lobsters. We saw a large school of dolphin and a couple of sea turtles. My brother noticed something in the distance make a big splash, but couldn't tell what it was. We both saw the splash again a little while later. It was definitely much bigger than a dolphin or anything else we had seen that day. We have a feeling it might have been a whale. I've heard of right whales off the coast but don't know what time of year they are out there. Has anyone else had any encounters with whales off the Florida coast?

 

[Orlando Eric]

There is a large migration of whales from Quebec to Hollywood Beach every winter. The really screw up the local ecosystem until the leave in summer.

I actually am not certain when the whales are swimming around off our coast, however the Sea is full of uncertainties. Just because they "usually are not found" does not mean you will not see them."

If you believe it was whale sized spalshes, it certainley could have been.

 

[FL_DVLover]

Thanks for the info. I had never seen whales in the wild before and it was very cool to think that they were out there with us. I'll be looking for them the next time we go out. For me, those kinds of experiences, both above and under the water, are what make this sport so wonderful.

:14: Deana

 

[Reel Crazy14]

Its possible it was a whale but they normally stay only in the winter time and bug out by March or May at the latest. Right and Humpback whales are the most common during the winter. It could have been a big Manta Ray as they jump clear out of the water. Mantas grow to over 1000 pounds so it very well could have been a manta.

 

[archman]

I've seen video footage of killer whales off of Florida. Weird.

 

[H2Andy]

i've seen pilot whales right off jacksonville (their dorsal fins are unmistakable)

the best encounter was a pilot whale mother and calf i saw off Matanzas Inlet.
the baby apparently was curious, because they came rather close to us and circled us for a bit.

this was about November... maybe early December

 

[erparamedic]

Anyone ever have any whale sighting off West Palm... in, say, December? Hubby and I will be there in Dec... and it would be incredibly neat if we happened upon one... or more.

 

[OceanObsessed]

Whales, Whale sharks, Great Whites, Ocean Sunfish, etc ... they are all here but they are not common.

A sperm whale recenlty beached itself down in the Florida Keys...
http://www.nbc6.net/news/9607006/detail.html?subid=10101481

 

[dvrgaryc]

I was out with my brother and some friends last weekend about 25 miles off the coast of Daytona Beach looking for lobsters. We saw a large school of dolphin and a couple of sea turtles. My brother noticed something in the distance make a big splash, but couldn't tell what it was. We both saw the splash again a little while later. It was definitely much bigger than a dolphin or anything else we had seen that day. We have a feeling it might have been a whale. I've heard of right whales off the coast but don't know what time of year they are out there. Has anyone else had any encounters with whales off the Florida coast?

You mentioned that you heard it splash the first time and saw something that was larger than a dolphin the second time. Could it have been a manta? I've seen them jump out of the water and make a tremendous splash. If it had it's back to you, all you would see is something large and dark. Kinda like a whale.

 

[FL_DVLover]

You mentioned that you heard it splash the first time and saw something that was larger than a dolphin the second time. Could it have been a manta? I've seen them jump out of the water and make a tremendous splash. If it had it's back to you, all you would see is something large and dark. Kinda like a whale.

I guess it could have been a manta. I had never thought of that until it was mentioned here. The splash was low and very wide, that is why we thought of a whale. It was pretty big even from a distance. Either one would have been cool to see.