There are three species of Right Whale (of the genus Eubalaena), and together with the Bowhead Whale (genus Balaena) these four animals were the first to attract the attention of whalers. They are all slow-moving, feed largely on copepods and other small zooplanktonic animals, and have a distinctive V-shaped blow.
Right Whales
The North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis), and the North Pacific Right Whale (Eubalaena japonica) are both critically endangered species, with only 400 and 200 individuals (respectively) remaining. The Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) fares a little better with an estimated population of around eight thousand.
Bowheads
Balaena mysticetus is only found in Arctic waters (it is sometimes known as the Arctic Right Whale). It has a massive skull and buts its way up through the ice to breathe. Part of a harpoon found in one killed in 2007 proved to be very old, and the animal’s age was estimated to be over 115 yrs.. Other studies have suggested that another individual could have been as old as 211 when it was killed! About 9,000 individuals are thought to survive, so they are probably the least endangered (although some populations are very low).
The Pygmy Right Whale
Caperea marginata, of southern waters, should not be confused with the other Right Whales. It has a dorsal fin, and is in a separate family (Neobalaenidae) of its own. Very little is known about this species (since there have been very few sightings), but it has never caught the serious attention of whalers. The population size is unknown.
Whaling
As early as the eleventh century Basques were hunting the North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis) in the Bay of Biscay, and when stocks of this whale were reduced by the eighteenth century others (initially Americans) moved on to pursue the Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis), and then the North Pacific Right Whale (Eubalaena japonica). After these animals (and the Bowheads) became scarce attention was turned to other, faster swimming, whales – modern boats and harpoons allowed all the large whales to be hunted. World opinion is now largely against the hunting of whales, but whaling continues.
Other Whales
All species listed above belong to a larger group, the ‘Baleen Whales’, named for the sieves which they have in the mouth instead of teeth. The other nine or ten species in this group include the Humpback and the Blue Whale – they are known as ‘Rorquals’, and they are all filter-feeders. There are over seventy species of ‘Toothed Whales’, all active predators, with Killer Whales at the top. Most are smaller than the Baleen Whales, with the exception of the Sperm Whale, and over half of them are alternatively known as ‘Dolphins’ and ‘Porpoises’.
See also articles about the threat posed by fishing gear, and how some are being disentangled from nets.
Main reference: Collins Wild Guide – ‘Whales and Dolphins’ by Mark Carwardine, 2006.
Other articles by John Blatchford
