GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Emergency crews have found a possible drowning victim at Frank Amerson Park Ocmulgee River.

Captain Bud Brasier told News4JAX he spotted the humpback whale in the St. Mary’s Channel on Saturday, Jan. 7 around 11 a.m.

A conservation group is suing in federal court over a U.S. agency's timeline for dredging a Georgia shipping channel, saying dredging in the summertime would threaten rare sea turtles.

The discovery surprised a state biologist who was doing the dissection.

Rare sea turtles that spend summers laying eggs on Southern beaches have crawled to a new state record in Georgia.

The trio have a September court date.

The federal government says vessels off the East Coast must slow down more often to help save a vanishing species of whale.

A judge says the federal government hasn’t done enough to protect a rare species of whale from lethal entanglement in lobster fishing gear, and new rules are needed to protect the species from extinction.

The federal government is close to releasing new rules that the shipping industry might have to comply with to help protect a vanishing species of whale.

Four others were rescued, with one having to be airlifted out of the water with an apparent leg injury.

The couple was cited for possessing a game animal illegally, officials said.

The fish can weigh up to 50 pounds.

There are fewer than 350 North Atlantic Right Whales left on earth, and they’re dying faster than they can reproduce. That’s the subject of a newly-released documentary called, “The Last of the Right Whales.”

There was a heartfelt salute Thursday night to members of the Glynn County Fire Department, the Tow Pilots Association, Georgia Department of Natural Resources and others — for all their efforts in the early hours of the Golden Ray cargo ship capsizing in the St. Simons Sound.

An entangled right whale was spotted off Cumberland Island on Thursday, as first reported by The Current.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources played a fun wildlife game with its Facebook followers.

The body of a missing swimmer was recovered Sunday morning from the Satilla River, more than a day after his reported disappearance, authorities said.

An exotic cat that was roaming parts of Atlanta has been captured, but the owner is being forced to give up her pet because it's illegal to keep such cats as pets in Georgia. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources said Thursday that a serval, a species native to Africa, had been taken to a holding facility until it could be relocated to a wildlife sanctuary. The owner, Anna Fyfe, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution she moved to Georgia from South Carolina where it's legal to keep a serval as a pet.

Recreational and commercial harvesting of oysters in Georgia is set to end Tuesday and remain closed until the fall.

The drowning is the third death on Lake Lanier so far in 2021.

The drowning is the third death on Lake Lanier so far in 2021.

The drowning is the third death on Lake Lanier so far in 2021.

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Participants in Georgia’s marine fisheries industry have until Thursday to apply for federal COVID-relief aid. Congress in March appropriated nearly $2 million to supplement Georgia’s marine industry’s' pandemic-related revenue losses and applications must be postmarked by Thursday, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources reminded the public Friday. Incomplete applications will be returned via certified mail and applicants will have 15 days from receipt to complete the application and return it. Any applicant deemed ineligible will have 15 days to appeal. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will be the grantee and will distribute the funds based on Georgia’s spending plan.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. - The Golden Ray will be disassembled in place after maritime experts have determined it is not possible to safely right and refloat the vessel in a fully intact condition, according to a news release from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. On Saturday, Unified Command announced they are developing plans to remove all of the M/V Golden Ray's hull, components and cargo in an incident response update. The Unified Command is continuing pollution mitigation throughout the duration of the removal operation. It has completed the lightening of the forward fuel oil tanks onboard the Golden Ray, according to the release. Specialists from the Unified Command are conducting water monitoring at 22 sites under a long-term plan.

BRUNSWICK, Ga. - Scientists say they have linked four pilot whales found dead on the coast of South Carolina with 17 whales of the same species that died days earlier after beaching themselves in Georgia. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources said in a news release Monday that photographs of dorsal fins confirmed the 21 dead whales belonged to the same pod. Four more dead whales were found Saturday on and near Edisto Beach, South Carolina - about 80 miles (128 kilometers) from the stranding site in Georgia. The Navy confirmed that sonar was not the cause of the beached whales near St. Catherines Island last week. The American Cetacean Society says pilot whales are often involved in mass strandings partly due to their social nature.

RELATED STORY:Coast Guard rescues crew members trapped crewmembersWATCH: Sky 4 video of capsized cargo shipUNCUT: Coast Guard Sunday afternoon briefing"We also have pollution mitigation efforts in the works. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources said it's monitoring coastal environmental conditions following the capsizing of a commercial freight vessel in the St. Simons Sound early Sunday morning. The Coast Guard is preparing to deploy spill containment booms around the Golden Ray. The Coastal Resources Division of DNR will conduct water quality sampling to ensure the safety of shellfish harvesting beds and swimming beaches. Collins worries the cleanup could take weeks or even months, and with the incoming tides, he says comes the possibility of environmental pollution.

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Examinations of the carcasses of three pilot whales yielded no immediate answers to why they swam ashore and died on a popular beach in Georgia, state wildlife officials said Thursday. "There was no smoking gun that showed a natural cause of death or a human cause," George said. RELATED: Dozens rush to help beached whales on St. Simons Island | 3 pilot whales die after exceedingly rare' St. Simons Island strandingsPilot whales typically would be found about 100 miles from shore, George said. Pilot whales are often involved in mass strandings, partly due to their social nature, according to the American Cetacean Society. Georgia officials said at least 47 pilot whales survived the near-miss with the St. Simons Island beach.