Critically endangered whale spotted off California coast, NOAA confirms

MARIN COUNTY, Calif. -- One of the world's rarest whales was spotted off a California coast on Friday.

The North Pacific right whale was seen just three miles west of Point Reyes in Marin County. Researchers aboard the NOAA ship, the "Bell M. Shimada," caught the creature on camera.

The identification was officially confirmed by NOAA using the photos taken by the research team.

The North Pacific right whale is critically endangered; according to NOAA's website, there are likely fewer than 500 remaining.

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