Volunteers, Scientists Guard Endangered Whales

Glenn Wood and several other retirees lean on a wood rail on the second story balcony of the Golden Lion Café -- a beachside pub and restaurant in northern Florida.

It's 8 a.m., so no one's here for French fries or beer-battered fish. As the group gazes out into the ocean sunrise, they're scanning for North Atlantic right whales.

Wearing whale earrings, a flipper necklace and a blue windbreaker that says "Whale Watch Survey Team" on the back, Wood says she's been coming to this spot -- the highest lookout point in the area -- to search for whales once a week for at least five years.

Each new calf the group spots gives her hope that the right whale -- a highly endangered and often-overlooked species -- will recover.