Right whale, wrong place
The Port of Jacksonville was shut down for about three hours Monday afternoon by the Coast Guard when a North Atlantic right whale swam into the St. Johns River.
The captain of the port closed the river to all inbound and outbound commercial vessel traffic in the afternoon and the Mayport Ferry suspended operation. North Atlantic right whales are an endangered species and federal law prohibits approaching or remaining within 500-yards of them.
When the whale was observed swimming north out of the St. Johns River entrance channel into the Atlantic Ocean at approximately 6:15 p.m. Monday, the port was reopened.
Right whale, wrong place
