Humpback Whale Spotted During BCC/UNCW Student Dolphin Survey

Rare sightings underscore importance of local undergraduate research

What began as a routine bottlenose dolphin survey became a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Brunswick Community College (BCC) students participating in a collaborative research course with UNC Wilmington.

During a recent Saturday field trip, students Bethany Berry and Vannessa Herold, under the guidance of BCC Dean of Arts & Sciences Dr. Kim Jones, documented a rare sighting of a humpback whale at the mouth of the Cape Fear River near Bald Head Island.

The students were participating in HON 191: Research & Discovery, part of the Community College Undergraduate Research Experience (CCURE), a BCC-UNCW partnership. The group was conducting a routine dolphin survey when they saw something unexpected.

“There was so much life in the area—baitfish, diving birds, dozens of dolphins—and then we saw it,” said Dr. Jones. “A humpback whale surfaced just beyond Jaybird Shoal.”

This sighting marks the first humpback whale Dr. Jones has recorded in the Cape Fear River since April 2021. A follow-up trip a week later confirmed the whale had remained in the area, accompanied by a large pod of bottlenose dolphins and a dense school of menhaden.

These surveys are part of a larger Community Collaborative Research Grant (CCRG) project titled “Bottlenose Dolphin Distribution, Abundance and Health along the Brunswick County Coast/Cape Fear River Region.” Sponsored by NC Sea Grant, the research gives students firsthand experience in marine science while contributing to vital regional data collection.

For more information about BCC and the CCURE program, visit brunswickcc.edu or contact OneStop Student Services at [email protected] or (910) 755-7320.

May 1, 2025