north atlantic right whales

North Atlantic Right Whale

The North Atlantic Right Whale, Eubalaena glacialis, is a critically endangered species. Adult whales are about 45 ft in length and weigh up to 70 tons. Calves are about 16 ft long and weigh about 2,000 pounds at birth. As of the end of the 2024 calving season, the total population size was estimated at 370 individuals. Because of the small numbers and low reproductive rate, protection and stewardship are essential. 

Right Whales also face an additional challenge: human impacts. Whales become entangled in fishing gear, are struck by vessels, and sometimes are harassed by boaters. Therefore, monitoring the population in these waters has two principal objectives: 1) mitigating human impacts, and 2) studying distribution, abundance, demographics, behavior, and habitat use so as to enhance conservation and recovery of the species.

right whale Characteristics

North Atlantic Right Whales have several features that distinguish them from other whales.
When scanning the ocean for a whale, look for the following.

callosities

Callosities are large, rough patches of skin covered with white lice on the whale's head. Each individual whale has a unique pattern, like fingerprints.​​

V-Shaped BLOW

The nostrils of a Right Whale, also known as blowholes, are angled outwards. This produces a "V" shaped spray, or “blow” when a Right Whale comes to the surface to exhale.

no dorsal fin

Unlike dolphins, sharks and many other whales, Right Whales do not have a dorsal fin. This makes their back appear smooth and flat.​

cOLOR

Right Whales’ backs, tails and flippers are black to dark gray in color. Their bellies are usually dark, but some individuals have white bellies. They have unique patches of roughened skin on their heads called callosities that appear white due to the presence of white whale lice.

wide bLack flippers

Right whales have two black flippers that are short, wide and almost square in shape.  This is in contrast with the long, skinny white flippers of humpback whales.
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FLUKE

The tail, or "fluke" of the Right Whale is black and broad with a deep "V" notch. This is unlike other whales, such as the humpback which has a jagged, often white, fluke.​