One of the 7 whales on WAnimals
Mammals · Artiodactyla · Balaenidae
North Atlantic Right Whale
Eubalaena glacialis
It faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. See full glossary
It is one of the most threatened great whale species on the planet, with fewer than 70 known breeding females.
Weight
63.5 t – 100 t
Size
4.5 m – 17 m
Lifespan
55 years
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Activity
Irregular activity
Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Hard
Estimated population
Roughly 360 individuals
Fun facts
- Its name comes from whalers regarding it as the 'right whale' to hunt.
- Fewer than 70 known breeding females remain.
- One female was photographed over 60 consecutive years, confirming how long the species lives.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (marine mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Coastal waters of the North Atlantic, between cold-water feeding grounds and calving grounds in the warm waters of Florida and Georgia
- Birth weight
- ~794 kg; 4.5-6 m long
- Size at birth
- 4.5 - 6 m long at birth
- Sexual maturity
- ~10 years (a first birth at 5 has been documented in exceptional cases) | Male: ~15 years
- Gestation / incubation
- ~12-13 months (350 days)
- Litter / clutch size
- 1 young, with 3-7 years between births (lately longer, up to 6-10 years, through environmental stress)
Sources consulted: Animal Diversity Web; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Texas Tech (Mammals of Texas); Biological Diversity; Atlantic Whales; NOAA Fisheries; Animalia.bio; Government of Canada (recovery strategy)
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 16 de 18 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with North Atlantic Right Whale — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Shortfin Mako
Isurus oxyrinchus
EndangeredBasking Shark
Cetorhinus maximus
Least ConcernHarbor Seal
Phoca vitulina
Least ConcernHumpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
Least ConcernHarbor Porpoise
Phocoena phocoena
Not EvaluatedGreat Scallop
Pecten maximus
How to help
The north atlantic right whale is classified as endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 7 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about north atlantic right whale.
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