Southern Right Whale

Southern Right Whale Latest News

Recently, dozens of southern right whale calves have been found dead on Argentina’s Patagonian coast and scientists are probing a possible bacterial infection after an unusually deadly season. 

About Southern Right Whale

• The Southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) is a baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales.
• Appearance
  • It is readily distinguished from others by the callosities on its head, a broad back without a dorsal fin, and a long arching mouth that begins above the eye.
  • Its skin is very dark grey or black, occasionally with some white patches on the belly. 
• Distribution
  • They live across the Southern Hemisphere, generally ranging between 20°S and 60°S latitude.
  • 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.
• Characteristics
  • They feed just beneath the water’s surface, holding their mouths partly open and skimming water continuously while swimming.
  • They strain the water out through their long baleen plates to capture their prey.
  • Diet: They are carnivores (plankrivores) and eat small plankton, including copepods, and pelagic larval crustaceans.
• Conservation Status: IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Source: TH

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