North Atlantic Right Whale
Eubalaena glacialisAlso known as Northern Right Whale, Black Right Whale
North Atlantic right whales are majestic, slow-moving giants easily recognized by the rough, white patches of thickened skin called callosities on their heads. These gentle filter feeders spend their lives hugging the eastern coastline of North America, navigating some of the world's busiest shipping lanes to travel between northern feeding grounds and southern calving lagoons. Because they lack a dorsal fin and float when killed, they were once deemed the right whale to hunt, a legacy that leaves them on the brink of extinction today.
- diet
- Zooplankton (primarily copepods and krill)
- family
- Balaenidae
- threats
- Vessel strikes, fishing gear entanglement, and climate-driven prey shifts
- life Span
- 70 or more years
CR
Keep a distance of at least 500 yards to avoid vessel strikes and minimize stress to these giants.
With fewer than 360 individuals remaining, every single whale is critical to the survival of this critically endangered species.
Never approach these whales; slow down to under 10 knots in their migratory corridors and report any entangled individuals.- Keep Your Distance: Federal law requires all vessels, aircraft, and swimmers to stay at least 500 yards away.
- Report Sightings: Document any sightings or suspected entanglements immediately to the Coast Guard or local marine mammal stranding network.
- Go Slow: Adhere to seasonal speed zones of 10 knots or less in designated right whale conservation areas.