Whale so rare it has been likened to unicorn spotted jumping into air off North Carolina Outer Banks

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A research operation technician, John Felter, who attends the Coastal Studies Institute in Wanchese, was on a boat with five others on October 30 when he saw the cetacean.

Published: 21:36 GMT, 11 November 2026 | Updated: 21:36 GMT, 11 November 2026

Marine biologists spotted a rare right whale off North Carolina's Outer Banks on the day before Halloween.

A research operation technician, John Felter, who attends the Coastal Studies Institute in Wanchese, was on a boat with five others on October 30 when he saw the cetacean.

Felter recalled hearing the captain shout, 'Whale!' but when he turned toward the front of the boat, he saw a large splash, which initially made him worry he'd missed the moment.

Felter told WAVY-TV 10 that capturing the whale would've been a career-defining moment considering the rarity of the North American right whale.

'Seeing one playing, like leaping fully out of the water, breaching 10 to 15 times, that’s akin to seeing a unicorn,' Felter said.

'It was just absolutely the most incredible thing I’ve seen in my career for sure,' he added.

According to NOAA Fisheries, the North Atlantic right whale is one of the world's most endangered large whale species.

NOAA Fisheries reported that approximately 384 North Atlantic right whales, ranging from 375 to 394, remained alive two years ago.

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