NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE
Facts about
Right Whales:
The right whale received
its name from whalers
because it was an easy
whale to catch due to its
slow speed and migration
route near the coast.
Image: Public Domain: http://swfsc.nmfs.noaa.gov via Wikimedia Commons
Biology and Migration
North Atlantic right whales are large marine mammals measuring up to 60 feet in
length and weighing up to 80 tons. Scientists believe they can live up to 100 years.
North Atlantic right whales can be identified by their overall dark color, “upsidedown smile,” V-shaped water spout, paddle-like flippers, smooth back (no dorsal fin),
and white rough patches on the head called callosities.
While North Atlantic right whales are among the world’s largest living creatures,
they feed on krill, a tiny shrimp-like organism, and a variety of zooplankton called
copepods. Like the blue whale and humpback whale, right whales can filter these tiny
organisms out of seawater using long fringed strips of a fingernail-like substance
called baleen. The baleen hangs from the
roof of the whale’s mouth when it is open.
Right whales often feed on the surface,
scooping up mouthfuls of food and then
forcing out the seawater through the
baleen strips before swallowing.
The callosities on a right
whale’s head differ on
each animal so scientists
can use the size and
shape of the patches as
a way to recognize each
whale they study.
Right Whale calves
weigh about 2000
pounds at birth and
measure 15 feet long.
In addition to the North
Atlantic right whale,
there are two other
species of right whale:
the North Pacific right
whale and the Southern
right whale.
Right whales must eat
more than 2500 pounds
of food each day to
survive.
Baby whales are born in the late winter and
early spring in the warm, shallow waters off
The only known predator
the coasts of Georgia and Florida. In the
of right whales is the
spring, females and their young and many
Orca or killer whale.
young adult whales migrate north from the
wintering grounds to summer feeding
grounds in coastal waters the stretch from Massachusetts to Nova
Scotia in Canada. Large amounts of krill and copepods are usually found
here. They will feed in these areas until the weather starts to cool, and
they return to southern waters. Scientists still don’t know where many adult right whales go in the fall and winter.
Pregnant female North Atlantic right whales give birth to one baby – called a calf – every three to 5 years. Calves
rely on milk from their mothers just like other mammals, and mothers need to be able to find plenty of food so
they can produce enough milk for their young. They rely on their mother for milk for about a year.
NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE
Environmental Science – Global Changes
North Atlantic right whales are an endangered species. Scientists estimate there are only 300 to 500 remaining in
the world. This small population size is the result of whale hunting carried out by humans for hundreds of years.
Whales were hunted for their oil and baleen. Whale oil was used for many years as a source of light and heat. It
was also an ingredient in many other products. Baleen was removed from dead whales and was useful because of its
flexibility. It has properties similar to today's plastics, which are also made of oil. By 1935, there were so few
North Atlantic right whales remaining that they were protected from extinction by international law.
Even though the species is protected, it is difficult for the population to grow because calves are born so
infrequently. Some years, very few North Atlantic right whales are born at all. In 1999-2000, scientists counted
just one birth, but the following year 30 calves were born. Scientists don't know why the number of whales born
each year can change so much. There are still dangers to the whales even though they are no longer hunted. Most
accidents that kill whales are caused by large ships that travel along the coast to busy ports such as Boston, New
York and Halifax in Nova Scotia. These ports are located near the North Atlantic right whale’s summer feeding
grounds. Sometimes a collision with even a small boat can injure or kill a baby right whale. Whales can also get
tangled in long fishing nets in the ocean and are affected by chemical pollution and litter that enters the ocean
from rivers onshore. Changes in ocean temperatures caused by warming global climates are also making it more
difficult for North Atlantic right whales to find enough food to stay healthy and have healthy calves. Because of
all these challenges, scientists are concerned that the North Atlantic right whale may become extinct within 100200 years, even though it is a protected species.
Conservation – How to Help
People are working hard to find ways to save these ocean giants. Because they are mainly found in the coastal
waters of the United States and Canada, government agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) and the US and Canadian Coast Guards are involved in this effort. Scientists and
concerned citizens from around the world have formed an organization called the North Atlantic Right Whale
Consortium to guide the research, conservation and management actions. Together, they are working to ensure the
long-term conservation and recovery of right whales in the North Atlantic.
Changes that have been adopted to help North Atlantic right whales include: 1) protecting important whale habitat;
2) new rules that require ships to slow down while they pass through areas where North Atlantic Right Whales are
know to feed; 3) a warning system to notify ship captains when North Atlantic right whales have been spotted in an
area with shipping traffic, and 4) rules that prevent fishing vessels from setting their nets in known whale
migration and feeding areas. Since water pollution and litter are also issues that affect right whales while they
are in New England waters, we can also do our part to help protect their habitat.
Sources:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/education/kids_times_whale_right.pdf
http://www.narwc.org/index.php?mc=2&p=2
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/cetaceans/rightwhale_northatlantic.htm
http://www.defenders.org/north-atlantic-right-whale/success-stories
http://whale.wheelock.edu/Welcome.html (WhaleNet)
http://stjohns.ifas.ufl.edu/Sea/rightwhales.html
http://www.arkive.org/north-atlantic-right-whale/eubalaena-glacialis/