Here's a whale of a tale and also a bit of hopeful news.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute confirmed a fifth right whale calf was spotted Feb. 5 with its mother in waters off Sebastian Inlet State Park.

On its Facebook page Friday, the FWC confirmed "the mother is Catalog #4180. Right whale #4180 is at least eight years old and this is her first known calf."

[ Scroll to the bottom to see the FWC Facebook post. ]

Volunteers with the state park noticed the mother-calf pair resting and nursing at the surface.

According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, North Atlantic right whale, Catalog No. 2503, named Boomerang, was spotted the same day off Daytona Beach Shores. Sightings also were reported Feb. 5 near Fernandina Beach.

It's currently the North Atlantic right whale birthing season.

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More sightings of North Atlantic right whales and humpbacks should be expected along the Treasure and Space coasts from now until early March, according to a Jan. 3 report from environmental reporter Tyler Treadway. The marine mammals migrate from feeding grounds off New England to calving grounds in the Caribbean Sea.

Right whales can grow up to 55 feet and an adult right whale can weight 50 tons, according to FWC. A newborn calf can measure 15 feet at birth and weigh 2,000 pounds.

According to Smithsonian.com, the right whale population has dipped from about 500 in 2010 to an estimated 400.

In 2016, Stephen Ferrell of Melbourne Beach photographed right whales from the Sebastian Inlet Bridge which connects Indian River and Brevard County. (Ferrell's photos are below.)

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, right whales are the most endangered large whales in the world and face a high likelihood of extinction because of humans. Approximately 500 remain of the western North Atlantic population, which is commonly found off the East Cast and Canada.

Right whales and humpback whales are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Their biggest threats include collisions with ships and entanglement in commercial fishing gear.

Federal law requires people keep at least 500 yards from the whales.

If you spot a whale, call 877-WHALE-HELP.

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Maureen Kenyon is TCPalm's trends reporter, keeping Treasure Coast residents updated on hot topics and happenings. Do you have a story to tell? Want to start a conversation? Send an email to maureen.kenyon@tcpalm.com, call 772-221-4249 or follow her on Twitter @_MaureenKenyon_.