Right whales inhabit temperate oceans worldwide, and while Southern Right Whales are endangered, Northern Right Whales are on the brink of extinction due to past hunting pressure and present loss of habitat. While spotting cetaceans or hearing their vocalizations as you dive is always exciting, encountering a Northern Right Whale is very special. Scientists estimate that there are only 500 to 1,000 of these massive whales still alive; let’s take a closer look at a vanishing species.
Northern Right Whales - Two Distinct Species
Once classified as a single species, with similar characteristics to its southern cousin, Northern Right Whales comprise two separate populations and two separate species. They are closely related to the more plentiful Bowhead Whale.
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North Atlantic Right Whales are among the most endangered of all species. With only about 400 individuals in existence, they are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the US Endangered Species Act of 1973. Now, several decades after these laws were passed, fixed fishing gear and vessel strikes have continued to hinder their recovery. Most often encountered off the northeast coast of the United States and Canada from New York to Nova Scotia, they come into Cape Cod Bay and head to Georgia and Florida to calve during the winter. Some are seen around Iceland, and sightings occur in areas such as Italy and Sicily, the Canary Islands, Spain and Portugal, Ireland and Scotland, and Norway.
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North Pacific Right Whales are even less prevalent than their Atlantic cousins. Living in the Sea of Okhotsk and the Eastern Bering Sea, these animals were once abundant in Alaskan waters and in the rest of the North Pacific and Bering Seas. Today, they are most commonly encountered near the mouth of the Sea of Okhotsk. Conservationists estimate that there are less than 500 North Pacific Right Whales still alive.
Right Whales: The Basics
Despite the fact that right whales, including Southern Right Whales, have been divided into separate species, these huge mammals are easily identified, with species identification being simplified by the fact that each species is separated by vast stretches of land, ice, and ocean.
Unlike many other whale species, the Right whale has blowholes spaced far apart, which makes the animals easy to spot from above the surface. As they exhale, a “V” shaped blow pattern can be seen. Smaller than Blue Whales but larger than Grey Whales or Humpback Whales, they grow to be about 18 meters long and can weigh more than 90 tons. Their bodies are extremely thick, and body composition is approximately forty percent blubber, one reason why whalers targeted them heavily in the past. With strong, sturdy tail flukes, callosities on their faces, and long curving mouths that begin above eye level, these whales have broad backs which are devoid of dorsal fins and which do not show a pronounced dorsal ridge. Most of them have distinct white patches on their bellies, and their baleen plates are as long as two meters. They feed mainly on small invertebrates, like krill, pteropods, copepods, and larval barnacles, skimming along the surface or just below the surface through concentrated patches of prey. On occasion, they will feed along the bottom of the ocean.
One reason these whales are having a difficult time repopulating is that their reproductive cycle is extremely slow. Females give birth to a calf every 3 to 4 years, after a year-long pregnancy. Calves, which weigh just under a ton at birth, are weaned after eight months to a year, and they don’t reach sexual maturity until they are eight to nine years old. If no accident befalls them, these whales can live to be as much as 100 years old.
While these enormous whales swim slowly, rarely exceeding a speed of five knots, they are extremely athletic and capable of impressive acrobatic displays. They often breach and slap the water with their tails, and will sometimes approach boats, which makes them particularly susceptible to fatal ship strikes. In some areas of the United States, speed limits have been set by NOAA; particularly in areas where cow and calf pairs are known to travel. In addition, the National Marine Fisheries Service, or NMFS, has placed strict restrictions on gillnets and other fixed fishing gear in an effort to put a stop to whale injuries and early mortality. Still, about seventy-five percent of the population bears scars from close calls with fishing gear and boats.
Northern Right Whale Encounters
As the number of Northern Right Whales is so low and as they migrate, one might think that planned encounters would be quite difficult. In fact, scientists and eco-tourism companies track the animals, often identifying individuals by distinct callosity patterns that are much like fingerprints. While the Pacific Northern Right Whale population is only encountered rarely, the Atlantic Northern Right Whale population has quite a following.
One of the best ways to interact with these animals is to volunteer with the North Atlantic Right Whale Watch or the Marineland Right Whale Project, two groups that come together annually to gather important information about individuals as they migrate to southern waters for the calving season. In April of 2011, more than 100 Northern Right Whales were spotted just off Cape Cod, and scientists estimated that 100 others traveling along the route went unseen. This is great news for the species; it is the largest recorded sighting to date since hunting them was banned over seventy years ago. As the whales travel through US waters, this group of volunteers photographs them, snorkels and dives with them, and catalogs individual features in order to make record keeping more precise.
South of Saint Augustine, Florida, cow/calf pairs come very close to shore and are sometimes visible from the beach. Kayakers and divers frequently encounter them, and people can view them from high rise condos and other tall buildings in the area.
So far, conservation efforts have gone well. The right whale got its’ name because it was the “right” whale to hunt: It was slow moving, docile, so blubbery that it floated when killed rather than sinking, and could be counted on to provide tons of meat and oil. Thankfully, all this has stopped and today, the right whale is a wonderful ambassador for other cetaceans; incredible to see and intriguing to study. If you find yourself in right whale territory, be sure to take advantage of the opportunity for an encounter.