News

John Ford, a marine biologist and researcher, has hoped to see a North Pacific right whale for the duration of his career. Until now, the extremely rare and endangered animal proved elusive. But as luck would have it, Ford spotted a North Pacific right whale for the first time in 62 years in British Columbia. The last one of its kind to be seen in the area was in 1951.

Right whales were hunted aggressively in the 1800s, and even their names refer to this practice—they were the “right” whales to hunt. The North Pacific right whale is the most endangered of the rights and only about 500 are alive today worldwide and 38 to 50 in the eastern Pacific.

Ford spotted the right whale off the coast of British Columbia and was able to take video footage.

Read more and see the video.