Two humpback whales and a calf were spotted in the early morning hours Monday in Brewers Bay near the University of the Virgin Islands on St. Thomas, staff at UVI reported.
Bystanders suspected that one of the whales gave birth to the calf the night before but this is unconfirmed. However, it was a very small calf and there is speculation that it must have been recently born.
“While this is the season for the humpbacks to migrate through this area, it is the first time that I have heard of them being inside of Brewers, much less having a calf in the bay,” said Paul Jobsis, director of the UVI Center for Marine and Environmental Studies.
“The number of whales spotted in the waters around the Virgin Islands appears to fluctuate from year to year,” he said in a statement. “They come down from the north Atlantic waters to give birth and breed each year in the late winter and early spring.”
