Southern Right Whale

Southern Right Whale Latest News

Southern right whales are producing fewer calves, signaling environmental disruption due to climate change.

About Southern Right Whale

• The southern right whale is one of four species, or types, of right whales. 
• Like all whales, right whales are mammals that live in the ocean but breathe air at the surface. 
• It is said that right whales got their name from whalers who considered them the “right” whales to hunt, because they were easy to kill and had body parts that were valuable. 
• Scientific Name: Eubalaena australis.

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Southern Right Whale Distribution

• They are found in the oceans of the Southern Hemisphere. 
• They usually live in sheltered bays, but in summer they can be found in the cold water around Antarctica. 
• Southern right whales visit the South African coast from May to November each year.

Southern Right Whale Features

• They are mostly dark gray or black. 
• They can be up to 60 feet (18 meters) long, and they weigh about 60 tons. 
• The head is very large. It is about one-quarter of the length of the animal. 
• The head has distinctive white calluses, which are home to colonies of parasites. 
• They have large amounts of fat called blubber that protects them from cold temperatures.

Southern Right Whale Conservation Status

It is classified as ‘Least Concern‘ under the IUCN Red List.

Source: DTE