Southern right whale pictures and facts

The Southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) is a carnivorous mammal. Growing to a size of up to 50 feet (15.5 meters) and weighing in at an astonishing 70 tons (62.5 metric tons), this water-bound giant can easily dwarf a city bus. The Southern right whale gets all of its nutrition from zooplankton and other microorganisms, which it pulls in through its enormous baleens. Its baleens can be up to 10 feet long! These amazing creatures eat constantly as they swim through the water, filtering plankton through their baleen plates. Their only known predators are orcas and humans.

In order to accommodate its huge baleens, the Southern right whale has a very large head, comprising up to one quarter of its entire body length. Interesting, these whales are plagued by a parasite, small crustaceans called whale lice. The lice feed off of skin debris from the whale. Southern right whales have twin blow holes, forming a V-shaped spray. They are known to be quite acrobatic, managing to hoist their enormous bodies out of the water for breaching.

These whales can be found living in temperate regions of the Pacific or Atlantic oceans, often staying close to the coastline. They will travel from southern oceans, where they breed in the winter, to the feeding grounds in the Antarctic in the summer months. Breeding populations are known to be off the coast of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, Uruguay, and South Africa. They give birth in the protected waters of small bays and coves close to the shore. They calve, on average, once every three years.

Southern right whales got their name from whale hunters, who deemed them the "right" whale to capture. They were slow swimmers and big money makers due to an ample supply of blubber, desirable for a variety of products. Their blubber also served to keep them afloat after being killed, making it easier to retrieve them from the water. Due to extensive hunting, the Southern right whale became endangered. They have been under international protection since 1949, allowing their numbers to recover to some extent. However, due to a later sexual maturity in females (approximately 10 years), as well as a gestation period of one year, recovery is slow. They are still considered an endangered species and are under protection by the Wildlife Conservation Act.