Baleen: Baleen whales like the North Atlantic Right Whales, Humpback whales, Minke whales and Blue whales eat plankton and krill with a filtering system called baleen, that is made of substance similar to human nails and hair. They don't have teeth and don't hunt seals or octopus and stingrays like their other cousins do, like the Orca and Beluga and Sperm whales. The baleen is thick like bristles on a huge broom.
BOLO: Acronym for “Be On The Lookout”
FWC: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Sea Jellies: Commonly known as jellyfish; however, jellyfish have no vertebrae and therefore they are not really a fish. Ocean science educators prefer the technically accurate terminology of “sea jellies”.
Sea Star: Commonly known as starfish; however, marine scientists insist “starfish” implies vertebrae and since sea stars have no vertebrae and is not a type of fish, the technically correct term for starfish is “sea star”.
Matanzas: Matanzas Inlet is located along the coast of St. Augustine near Marineland; it is the location where Juan Pedro de Menendez killed over 200 French Huguenots in 1565 when they were shipwrecked from a hurricane and refused to convert to Catholicism. Hence the name “Matanzas” which in Spanish means “massacre.” The inlet is a very popular spot for beach goers and boaters and offers a view of the historic Fort Matanzas.
Breaching: When a whale jumps up out of the water exposing at least 40% or more of their entire body.
Callosities: Tough, thick hardened skin made up of “whale lice”, small crustaceans creating white clumps on the heads of right whales and is used to identify the whales.