Southern Right Whale

Eubalaena australis

The Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) is a large baleen whale found predominantly in the southern hemisphere's temperate and subpolar regions. Renowned for their robust, rotund bodies and callosities on their heads, these whales can grow up to 18 meters (59 feet) in length and weigh up to 80 tons. Their name derives from early whalers, who deemed them the "right" whale to hunt due to their slow swimming speeds and tendency to float after being killed.

Characterized by their distinctive V-shaped blow and lack of a dorsal fin, Southern Right Whales are primarily filter feeders, using their baleen plates to strain tiny crustaceans, like krill and copepods, from the water. They are celebrated for their acrobatic displays, often seen breaching or waving their flukes in the air. Breeding occurs near coastal areas during the austral winter, with females giving birth to a single calf after a year-long gestation.

Though they were nearly driven to extinction by whaling, conservation efforts have helped some populations to recover, and they are now a symbol of marine conservation in many regions. Nonetheless, threats such as ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, and climate change continue to challenge their survival.