• Southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) swimming just under the ocean surface. (tonywublog.com)
  • Right whales are three species of large baleen whales of the genus Eubalaena: the North Atlantic right whale (E. glacialis), the North Pacific right whale (E. japonica) and the Southern right whale (E. australis). (wikipedia.org)
  • For the scientific names, the generic name Eubalaena means "good or true whales", and specific names include glacialis ("ice") for North Atlantic species, australis ("southern") for Southern Hemisphere species, and japonica ("Japanese") for North Pacific species. (wikipedia.org)
  • Eventually, it was recognized that bowheads and right whales were in fact different, and John Edward Gray proposed the genus Eubalaena for the right whale in 1864. (wikipedia.org)
  • The North Atlantic right whale ( Eubalaena glacialis ) and southern right whale ( Eubalaena australis ) are other species of right whale. (alaska.gov)
  • Right whales (genus Eubalaena) are baleen whales that were named by whalers who considered them the "right" whales to hunt, since they were rich in blubber, they were easy to catch (they are relatively slow swimmers), and they floated after being killed. (enchantedlearning.com)
  • The North Pacific Right Whale is a mammal from the genus Eubalaena and family Baleanidae. (earthsendangered.com)
  • The Southern Right Whale is a baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales belonging to the genus Eubalaena. (australiaforeveryone.com.au)
  • The North Atlantic right whale ( Eubalaena glacialis ) has a stocky, rotund body shape that is mostly black in colour, sometimes with irregular white ventral patches. (rorqual.com)
  • The Southern Right Whale, or Eubalaena australis, joins Blue Whales and Humpbacks in the baleen family. (centraldevelopments.co.za)
  • When I applied to be an intern at Marine Dynamics Academy, a goal of mine was to be able to see at least one of the three whale species found off the coast of Gansbaai: the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), Southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) and Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera brydei). (marinedynamics.org)
  • The elusive North Atlantic right whale ( Eubalaena glacialis, which means "good, or true, whale of the ice"), one of the most endangered marine animals on the planet, swam right past our current abode in South Nags Head, North Carolina! (scriptacuity.com)
  • Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) - tail fluke during sunset. (oceanwideimages.com)
  • Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) - breaching. (oceanwideimages.com)
  • Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) - expelling air from blowhole. (oceanwideimages.com)
  • Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) - pectoral fin slapping on surface. (oceanwideimages.com)
  • Whale lice can be seen attached to the collosities, which are patches of thickened keratinized tissue, like calluses (thus the name). (oceanlight.com)
  • The most distinguishing feature of a right whale is the rough patches of skin on its head, which appear white due to parasitism by whale lice. (wikipedia.org)
  • The head has large callosities that are home to a whole colony of whale barnacles, parasitic worms and whale lice. (coolantarctica.com)
  • The head and rostrum are covered with callosities, areas of roughened skin to which whale lice attach. (espacotalassa.com)
  • The right whale's callosities appear white, not due to skin pigmentation, but to large colonies of cyamids or whale lice. (australiaforeveryone.com.au)
  • There are patches of roughened skin called callosities on head, these are covered in whale lice. (whalecoast.info)
  • An interesting quirk, whale lice (yes, that's a thing) live on these callosities and turn them white, yellow, orange or even pink. (whales.org)
  • The surface of the callosities is very rough and jagged due to the whale lice which feed on and sculpt the mounds into pads of course sandpaper-like skin. (capetown-coach-hire.com)
  • Barnacles don't serve any obvious advantage to the whales, but they give helpful lice a place to hang onto the whale without getting washed away by water. (lukesepworth.com)
  • The pattern of callosities on a right whale are unique and serve as a way to identify individuals throughout their lifetime. (oceanlight.com)
  • The distribution pattern of callosities found above the eyes and all around the rostrum of the right whale make it possible to identify each individual. (rorqual.com)
  • Each and every right whale has a unique pattern of callosities that can be used to identify the individual. (walkaboutphotos.com)
  • Female right whales generally give birth to their first calf at 9-10 years of age. (alaska.gov)
  • Populations of right whales grow slowly because it takes a long time for female right whales to reach sexual maturity and only give birth to a single calf. (alaska.gov)
  • In its development, a blue whale calf can drink 50 gallons of its mother's milk and gain 200lbs per day! (coolantarctica.com)
  • One evening, though, we had a really good show from a mother and calf North Atlantic right whale. (noaateacheratsea.blog)
  • Two adult whales and a calf were spotted 300m off Point Addis on Tuesday. (apollosview.com)
  • Each is allocated specific areas, and the boats always try to keep a reasonable distance from any whales and avoid cow-and-calf pairs if possible. (capetown-coach-hire.com)
  • I was lucky enough to see a mother and calf swimming together and it made my first time seeing a whale a very memorable experience. (marinedynamics.org)
  • We found 13 right whales including #1204 and her calf, many juvenile animals that we have been seeing consistently over the past few weeks, and #3617 "Salem," an adult male who we have not seen in Cape Cod Bay in a month. (scriptacuity.com)
  • Right whales have rotund bodies with arching rostrums, V-shaped blowholes and dark gray or black skin. (wikipedia.org)
  • As for the rest of the body, right whales have two blowholes each and when they exhale, they produce a V-shaped spout that shoots up to an impressive 5 meters in the air. (whales.org)
  • Its large head is topped with two blowholes and its distinct "bonnet" of callosities (crustaceans). (travelink.com)
  • of whales pushing water out through their blowholes too - and finally the grunts that carry for as much as a couple of kilometers! (yellowzebrasafaris.com)
  • The last time she saw a right whale was in 2019, and the species had yet to frequent the bay at all in 2023 - until now. (yahoo.com)
  • In the Northern Hemisphere, right whales tend to avoid open waters and stay close to peninsulas and bays and on continental shelves, as these areas offer greater shelter and an abundance of their preferred foods. (wikipedia.org)
  • In the Southern Hemisphere, right whales feed far offshore in summer, but a large portion of the population occur in near-shore waters in winter. (wikipedia.org)
  • In spring, the whales migrate northward from warm Caribbean waters where they give birth to cold waters in the northeastern U.S. and Canada, where the zooplankton they eat are more abundant. (nationalgeographic.com)
  • Khan is part of a team that flies aerial surveys over the waters off the U.S. East Coast to look for North Atlantic right whales. (nextgov.com)
  • Nowadays, Northern right whales occur mostly in coastal and shelf waters. (espacotalassa.com)
  • The North Atlantic right whales occupy waters of Cape Cod in winter and spring, as well as off the coasts of Florida and Georgia, in winter. (espacotalassa.com)
  • The species is now very rare in European waters, where they were once abundant pre-whaling days. (espacotalassa.com)
  • This was the first confirmed record of this species since 1888, year when the last North Atlantic right whales was hunted in Azorean waters. (espacotalassa.com)
  • The North Pacific Right Whale occurs in shelf (coastal) waters although it moves into deep waters sometimes in sub-arctic and temperate waters. (earthsendangered.com)
  • From June to September the whales arrive from the Antarctic region and calve in the 'warmer' waters near Warrnambool. (aroundandabout.com.au)
  • Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically migrate up to 25,000 kilometres each year, and it is during that migration that they are seen in Australian waters. (australiaforeveryone.com.au)
  • From late July to early November, the majestic Humpback Whales can be seen as they migrate from cool southern waters around Antarctica to more temperate, sub-tropical waters to give birth. (australiaforeveryone.com.au)
  • The three most common whales seen in Australian waters are the Humpback, Southern Right and Orca (Killer) Whales. (australiaforeveryone.com.au)
  • The death of this particular whale, one of twelve that died in these waters well north of the Gulf of Maine, would tell us more about what was going on than would any other whale. (clamchowdah.org)
  • Anglesea photographer Judy Scanlon snapped this whale in calm waters off Lorne yesterday afternoon. (apollosview.com)
  • Recent weeks have seen dozens of sightings of humpback, southern right and killer whales beyond the surf breaks of local beaches, as the creatures make their annual trek from the Antarctic to warmer northern waters. (apollosview.com)
  • The whales are most prevalent from September through to November, but do start arriving as early as May for their breeding season in the shallow waters of Walker Bay. (capetown-coach-hire.com)
  • These Right whales cannot cross the warm equatorial waters to connect with the other (sub)species and breed, as their thick layers of insulating blubber make it impossible for them to dissipate their internal body heat in tropical waters. (capetown-coach-hire.com)
  • See them bubble-net feeding and stirring up krill-rich waters, something A&K's Expedition Team excitedly refers to as "whale soup. (travelink.com)
  • Beginning in May, approximately 2,000 southern right whales begin to migrate from the icy Antarctic Ocean and make the waters around the Valdes Peninsula their seasonal home and breeding ground. (divingpassport.com)
  • This also allows whales returning to the waters off Gansbaai to be identified and recorded so that the number of times the whales frequent the area is known. (marinedynamics.org)
  • Every year from June to October southern right and humpback whales migrate to calve in the warmer waters off South Africa's coast. (yellowzebrasafaris.com)
  • The type of whale that comes to Hermanus is the southern right whale, migrating from Antarctica in June and remaining in the relatively warm waters of South Africa until November or December. (yellowzebrasafaris.com)
  • Review of more than 3,600 North Pacific right whale calls detected by passive listening devices between 2000-2006 strongly suggests that the whales migrate into the southeast Bering Sea in late spring and remain until late fall. (alaska.gov)
  • Southern right whales migrate to the southern latitudes of their range during the summer months where plankton populations are more abundant, and migrate north during winter and spring. (australiaforeveryone.com.au)
  • The magnificent Southern Right Whales spend the summer months feeding around Antarctica and then migrate thousands of kilometres to the sheltered bays of South Africa to mate and calve. (whalecoast.info)
  • Whale watching tours near Cape Town, South Africa. (whalewatchsa.com)
  • Witsand is privileged to get the lion's share of these majestic mammals annually, thus making us known as the whale nursery of South Africa. (centraldevelopments.co.za)
  • In South Africa, the highest concentrations of breeding and calving Southern Right Whales can be found off the rocky coast of Walker Bay, and here you will be able to find a guided cruise that will safely and expertly allow you to encounter the whales up close and in their natural habitats. (hermanuswhalewatching.com)
  • Callosity patterns can be used to identify individual whales. (tonywublog.com)
  • The migration patterns of the North Pacific right whale are unknown. (alaska.gov)
  • Humpback whales are identified by these patterns and so it is important for scientists to track such changes carefully over time. (capecodlife.com)
  • Individual whales have unique callosity patterns. (whalecoast.info)
  • Each whale has unique patterns formed by callosities, allowing animals to be individually identified. (capetown-coach-hire.com)
  • Hiby L, Lovell P. A note on an automated system for matching the callosity patterns on aerial photographs of southern right whales. (iwc.int)
  • Within just a few hours, our sighting was cataloged into the NOAA Right Whale Sighting Advisory System website , which provides detailed information about migratory patterns and confirmed accounts of these beautiful mammals' whereabouts. (scriptacuity.com)
  • Right whales were a preferred target for whalers because of their docile nature, their slow surface-skimming feeding behaviors, their tendency to stay close to the coast, and their high blubber content (which makes them float when they are killed, and which produced high yields of whale oil). (wikipedia.org)
  • Whalers gave the North Pacific right whale its name based on it being the "right whale" to hunt: it was large, slow and floated at the surface when killed. (alaska.gov)
  • The North Pacific right whale is one of the rarest marine mammal species in the world due to heavy exploitation by commercial whalers prior to 1949. (alaska.gov)
  • As a result of international protection from hunting in 1935, the right whale population was growing by 1960, although large illegal catches by Soviet whalers during the 1960s in the eastern North Pacific and Bering Sea crippled recovery. (alaska.gov)
  • The name was given by the early whalers because they were the 'right' whales to kill. (coolantarctica.com)
  • Commercial whaling starts in the 11th century with the basque whalers, who call right whales the "whale of Biscay", from the eponymous Bay of Biscay, located between France and Spain. (rorqual.com)
  • Known as the right whale because it was the "right" one to hunt, the slow-moving southern right offered early whalers an easier kill and a profusion of oil. (travelink.com)
  • There are also callosities (a series of horny growths) behind the blowhole, on the chin, above the eyes, on the lower lip, and on the rostrum (the beak-like upper jaw). (enchantedlearning.com)
  • The largest callosity usually called the bonnet appears on the top of the rostrum. (earthsendangered.com)
  • We wait for them to lift their head a little to photograph the callosities on the lip, rostrum and blowhole. (walkaboutphotos.com)
  • As a result, they were hunted nearly to extinction during the active years of the whaling industry. (wikipedia.org)
  • Once hunted to the brink of extinction, humpbacks are now sought by whale-watchers, particularly off parts of Australia, Canada, and the United States. (australiaforeveryone.com.au)
  • Commercial whaling boomed along with the industrial revolution, which drove many whale species to the brink of extinction. (rorqual.com)
  • The North Atlantic right whale is an endangered species listed as 'species threatened with extinction' on the Species at Risk Act (SARA) registry. (rorqual.com)
  • Hunted to the brink of extinction, the critically endangered North Pacific right whales were so-named because hunters singled them out as lucrative game. (whales.org)
  • Prior to their complete protection in 1937, Southern Rights were hunted close to extinction due to their being the 'right' whale to hunt - slow moving, shore hugging whales which floated when dead. (capetown-coach-hire.com)
  • Once abundant, North Pacific right whales were hunted to near extinction mostly within a single decade (1840-1849). (sailworldcruising.com)
  • In order to save the whales from extinction, right whaling was banned in the 1900s. (hermanuswhalewatching.com)
  • The whale's callosities are clearly visible, arranged in a characteristic pattern on the whale's head, with each individual's pattern being unique. (tonywublog.com)
  • The pattern of whitish markings, or callosities, on a whale's head is key to identifying it-but in an aerial photo, white bits of ocean spray can look remarkably similar to these spots. (nextgov.com)
  • The callosities (thick white callouses) on each whale's head are unique and help to identify individuals. (divingpassport.com)
  • Right whales have a very wide back and paddle-shaped flippers. (espacotalassa.com)
  • North Pacific Right Whale has large flippers that are broad, rounded and fan-shaped but has no dorsal fin. (earthsendangered.com)
  • Whilst atop their bodies North Pacific right whales have no dorsal fin, to their sides they have long, broad flippers notched with small ridges. (whales.org)
  • Known to breach and slap their flippers against the water as they roll, these whales curiously poke and bump objects they find in the water. (whales.org)
  • They study the North Atlantic right whale, one of the world's rarest species. (snexplores.org)
  • Some of the world's best whale watching can be had from the cliff path which hugs the coastline for about 12 km along the front of the town of Hermanus. (capetown-coach-hire.com)
  • Some of the world's most impressive marine mammals call the White Continent home and your luxury expedition here is bound to reveal Antarctica's most spectacular whales and seals. (travelink.com)
  • By the end of the stormy final day, the survey team had seen four different whales from one of the world's most endangered populations. (sailworldcruising.com)
  • Eighty percent of the world's 450 right whales have been snared at least once in their lifetime, 50 percent twice or more. (thedeepmag.ca)
  • He was one of the world's foremost disentanglers, a veteran of countless intimate encounters with trapped, distressed whales weighing up to 70 tonnes. (thedeepmag.ca)
  • It is small wonder that Hermanus is considered the world's best destination for land-based whale watching. (yellowzebrasafaris.com)
  • A common explanation for the name right whales is that they were regarded as the right ones to hunt, as they float when killed and often swim within sight of shore. (wikipedia.org)
  • The hunt continued to increase over the centuries, especially as whale oil and baleen had a great commercial value. (rorqual.com)
  • They were called 'Right' because in the whaling days this was the right whale to hunt, as they are slow swimming, move close to shore, float when dead and yield a high quantity of oil and bone. (orcafoundation.com)
  • Since the 1980s, it has been illegal to hunt whales in most countries, including America. (storyshares.org)
  • Indigenous tribes in Alaska and the Caribbean were also allowed to hunt a certain amount of whales per year. (storyshares.org)
  • Odontocete whales (toothed) separated from baleen whales about 34 Million years ago, they use an entirely different strategy to hunt. (naturalistecharters.com.au)
  • The Southern Right Whale got its name as early as the 11th century, when it was known as the "right" whale to hunt. (hermanuswhalewatching.com)
  • Right whales feed mainly on copepods but also consume krill and pteropods. (wikipedia.org)
  • North Pacific right whales consume zooplankton, tiny animals floating in the water column (e.g., copepods and krill), by using a technique called "skimming. (alaska.gov)
  • Northern right whales are feeding exclusively on plankton, subsisting on copepods and krill. (espacotalassa.com)
  • North Pacific right whales are baleen whales and therefore have comb-like baleen plates that trap shrimp-like krill and small fish. (whales.org)
  • Mysticeti whales (baleen) have baleen plates which they use to filter small marine organisms they prey on (like krill). (naturalistecharters.com.au)
  • Blue whales favourite food is krill! (naturalistecharters.com.au)
  • One Southern Right Whale will eat over 1 tonne of krill, plankton, and copepods every day. (hermanuswhalewatching.com)
  • The right whales were first classified in the genus Balaena in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, who at the time considered all of the right whales (including the bowhead) as a single species. (wikipedia.org)
  • In the early whaling days, they were all thought to be a single species, Balaena mysticetus. (wikipedia.org)
  • As recently as 1998, Rice, in his comprehensive and otherwise authoritative classification listed just two species: Balaena glacialis (the right whales) and Balaena mysticetus (the bowheads). (wikipedia.org)
  • the only other large baleen whale which lacks a dorsal fin is the bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus), however the habitats don't overlap. (espacotalassa.com)
  • Some whales are so distinctive that the team knows them by sight-but more often, the researchers don't know who they've spotted until they get back to the office and consult the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog . (nextgov.com)
  • A drawing of Phoenix from the Right Whale Catalog documents her callosity pattern. (si.edu)
  • The new sightings mark the first in the Gulf of Alaska since 2021, and have added at least one and perhaps two new animals to the North Pacific right whale catalog. (sailworldcruising.com)
  • Shackleton the right whale ( Catalog #2440) was named after the Antarctic explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton. (neaq.org)
  • Shortly after being added to the Right Whale Catalog as # 2320, Piper was spotted entangled. (neaq.org)
  • We now know from further researching the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog- which compiles aerial photographs, field notes, and other documentation of the whales-that Salem traveled from his birthplace in Florida all the way to the Bay of Fundy (where he was repeatedly sighted between August and November 2006) and then back to Florida by December in his first year alone! (scriptacuity.com)
  • Later, morphological factors such as differences in the skull shape of northern and southern right whales indicated at least two species of right whale - one in the Northern Hemisphere, the other in the Southern Ocean. (wikipedia.org)
  • Two other species of right whale live in the Southern Hemisphere and the North Pacific. (nextgov.com)
  • Most North Atlantic right whale calves are born in the calving grounds off the southeast coast of the United States. (capecodlife.com)
  • Right whale calves typically stay with their moms for about a year, nursing on warm, rich milk. (snexplores.org)
  • The aim of the trip is to gather data and study the Southern Right Whale population that spend the winter months there to raise their calves and to socialize. (walkaboutphotos.com)
  • Baleen whales are migratory and move from high latitudes (such as Antarctica) where they feed during the summer months, to low latitudes (closer to the tropics) in winter where calves are born and mate. (naturalistecharters.com.au)
  • As these whales head south towards Antarctica for the summer, with their calves, they are already pregnant again! (naturalistecharters.com.au)
  • Southern Right Whales are intelligent and social animals, and cows have even been observed nursing and caring for orphaned calves. (hermanuswhalewatching.com)
  • Scientists recognize North Atlantic right whales based on the unique set of markings, or callosities, that dot their heads. (nationalgeographic.com)
  • To keep tabs on their target population, researchers track all of the whales individually, using each animal's distinctive facial markings to identify the ones they see swimming below. (nextgov.com)
  • The whales stuck around for about 15 minutes, giving us a chance to note down any behaviour observed and fluke markings for identification. (marinedynamics.org)
  • The callosities of the Southern right whale and the fluke markings of humpback whales allow individuals to be identified which contributes towards population and distribution studies. (marinedynamics.org)
  • With a lumpy, bumpy appearance, their faces are peppered with horny growths called callosities. (whales.org)
  • They are classified in the family Balaenidae with the bowhead whale. (wikipedia.org)
  • Within the baleen whales, there are 4 families, the rorqual whales ( balaenopteridae ), the gray whale ( Eschrichtiidae ), and the right whales ( Balaenidae ) and pygmy right whales ( Neobalaenidae ). (rorqual.com)
  • Baleen whales are characterized by having baleen plates for filtering food from water, rather than having teeth. (alaska.gov)
  • Right whales feed by skimming slowly through large patches of copepods (type of zooplankton) and use their baleen plates to strain the prey from the seawater. (rorqual.com)
  • Swimming with their mouths open, the whales use over 225 baleen plates to trap prey, which they can then swallow. (hermanuswhalewatching.com)
  • The second largest after the blue whale, the fastest swimming of all the large whales (sometimes called the greyhound of the seas) and the commonest large whale. (coolantarctica.com)
  • The second largest whale in the world after the blue whale, fin whales can grow to a length of 88 feet. (travelink.com)
  • This means they are warm blood Being the largest animal that has EVER lived on the planet (including dinosaurs), the Blue whale is most certainly a gentle giant. (naturalistecharters.com.au)
  • Two subspecies of Blue whale are seen in the south of Australia, being Antarctic and Pygmy Blue Whales. (naturalistecharters.com.au)
  • Sperm whales are toothed whales rather than filter feeders and are the deepest and longest of all whale divers catching giant squid in the dark ocean depths. (coolantarctica.com)
  • Right whales are skimmers, filter feeders that swim slowly with their mouth open, constantly eating. (enchantedlearning.com)
  • Right whales are rich in blubber (a subcutaneous layer of fat). (enchantedlearning.com)
  • Unfortunately for the right whales, they are ideal targets for two main reasons: they are slow swimmers who tend to stay at the surface for longer periods of time, and their thick layer of blubber means that they stay buoyant once killed. (rorqual.com)
  • Due to their slow cruising speed of 14kmph, these gentle whales were easy targets, and a thick layer of oil rich blubber caused them to float when dead. (hermanuswhalewatching.com)
  • A single right whale can consume up to 1100 kg of copepods per day! (rorqual.com)
  • From humpback whales to Antarctic fur seals, add these incredible whales and seals of Antarctica to your must-see list. (travelink.com)
  • Right whales typically have the obvious wart-like callosities on their heads, while the skin of bowhead whales is usually smooth. (alaska.gov)
  • After that, Joe was able to cut the lines in just 15 minutes, an incredibly efficient operation, since it typically takes hours to free a whale-especially right whales, notoriously agile and wild. (thedeepmag.ca)
  • Helping with proportion, right whales have heavy, rotund bodies that blend black and dark grey tones and have pretty white blotches on the belly. (whales.org)
  • Whaling records indicate that right whales were once abundant throughout the eastern North Pacific and Bering Sea during the summer months in the 19th and early 20th centuries. (alaska.gov)
  • The North Pacific Right Whale was abundant in the Northern Pacific ocean in the past. (earthsendangered.com)
  • To experience some of the worlds best whale watching Hermanus offers both fantastic boat cruises, and scenic walk ways, allowing for great viewing from land or sea. (capetown-coach-hire.com)
  • Whilst some locals feared that boat based whale watching would disturb whales in the bay and thus jeopardise the existing land based viewing at Hermanus, the reality is that both are now equally enjoyed by visitors to the area. (capetown-coach-hire.com)
  • The boating industry is closely controlled and a limited number of permits have been issued for legal boat-based whale watching at Hermanus, Gansbaai and Kleinbaai. (capetown-coach-hire.com)
  • Hermanus whale cruises take groups of passengers out in motor-boats for 1-2 hours at a time. (capetown-coach-hire.com)
  • One of the unique attractions of whale watching in Hermanus, is the famous 'whale crier' who, with the help of his kelp horn, keeps visitors informed as to the whereabouts of the whales. (capetown-coach-hire.com)
  • Hermanus is the place to include in your itinerary if you would like to view all five species, especially whales. (yellowzebrasafaris.com)
  • It is 115 kilometers south-east of Cape Town - and many visitors to the Mother City like to take a trip to Hermanus along the coastal road, spotting whales along the way! (yellowzebrasafaris.com)
  • And whale sightings are pretty much guaranteed, as the whale crier of Hermanus is often on the paths himself, blowing keenly on his kelp horn to alert everyone to the presence of whales! (yellowzebrasafaris.com)
  • My first experience with the whales in Gansbaai was with the shy Bryde's whale (B. brydei), a baleen whale species that lives off the coast of Gansbaai all year round. (marinedynamics.org)
  • Though huge, Northern Pacific Right Whale is presumed to only feed on cope-pods, barnacles, and crustacean larvae. (earthsendangered.com)
  • The right whale is the only whale to have a smooth back without a dorsel fin, as well as distinctive callosities on its head (which look kind of like barnacles). (voolas.com)
  • Do barnacles hurt the whale? (lukesepworth.com)
  • The North Pacific right whale is a large baleen whale. (alaska.gov)
  • Southern right whales attract thousands of visitors every year to experience these gentle giants off the South African coast. (whalewatchsa.com)
  • Run by the Mammal Research Institute Whale Unit, the "Adopt-a-whale" campaign is for the raising of much-needed funds to continue the research and conservation of the Southern Right Whale, to either co-adopt or to fully adopt one of the best know Southern Right whales, please do so here , and help conserve our gentle giants. (centraldevelopments.co.za)
  • Described as 'gentle giants', southern right whales present no threat to humans, so you can simply relax and enjoy the show! (yellowzebrasafaris.com)
  • These whales travel to the coast of Gansbaai throughout June to mate and calve and are quite recognisable due to the callosities (rough patches of skin) found on their head. (marinedynamics.org)
  • Females, known as cows, have strong maternal bonds and each female will return to her ancestral place of birth every 2-3 years to calve, ushering in a new generation of whales to continue the cycle. (hermanuswhalewatching.com)
  • Southern right whales have a white 'bonnet' of callosity on their head which also helps to distinguish them from other whales. (aroundandabout.com.au)
  • The largest of these excrescences (callosities) is located on the anterior-most portion of the head and is referred to as the "bonnet. (australiaforeveryone.com.au)
  • Whilst most of these callosities are found on the upper jaw and head, they have a funny 'bonnet' on the nose where the most concentrated number of growths are found. (whales.org)
  • Khan's dream, she told the team at Kaggle, was an algorithm that could scan any photo of a right whale-whether taken from a plane overhead, or a vessel alongside the animal-and use it to identify the animal. (nextgov.com)
  • A child could crawl down the whales' main blood vessel, the aorta. (coolantarctica.com)
  • Through sheer coincidence, or what most people thought was coincidence, Alec had found herself involved in a conflict with a whaling vessel. (storyshares.org)
  • The water in Shippagan Harbour was flat like glass, the winds calm, the sun rising into a dark blue sky as Joe maneuvered the Shelagh-the Canadian Whale Institute's research vessel-into the Gulf of St. Lawrence for a day of surveying North Atlantic right whales and sampling for zooplankton off the coast of northern New Brunswick. (thedeepmag.ca)
  • Fear of another vessel strike remained constant, and concerns for his health grew as he swam further upriver, since the makeup of the water was becoming more fresh (right whales are made for the salty sea! (neaq.org)
  • Is there anything more magnificent than watching a whale break through the surface of the water, twist and then return to the depths of the ocean? (aroundandabout.com.au)
  • The plankton net that Sarah will be using for her research on bowhead whales is designed to open and close at specific depths using a special clasp, called a double trip mechanism. (noaateacheratsea.blog)
  • The characteristic long, arching mouth of the Southern Right begins above the eye and is lined with a hair-like filter feeding system known as baleen - for despite their size, these whales live entirely off a diet of tiny organisms, many of which are microscopic animals known collectively as plankton. (hermanuswhalewatching.com)
  • Unlike baleen whales, which form only temporary bonds, sperm whales live in extended family units that for the females are lifelong associations. (coolantarctica.com)
  • Authorities have repeatedly recategorized the three populations of right whale plus the bowhead whale, as one, two, three or four species, either in a single genus or in two separate genera. (wikipedia.org)
  • The most distinctive features of all Right Whales including the Southern Right, are the raised patches of skin called 'callosities' on their head, snout and lips. (capetown-coach-hire.com)
  • But the next summer, other whale-watching scientists spied a juvenile right whale off of Nova Scotia. (snexplores.org)
  • Southern right whale off the coast of Puerto Madryn, Argentina. (divingpassport.com)
  • A few years ago, gear from a boat he worked on actually turned up on a right whale off Daytona Beach. (thedeepmag.ca)
  • Callosities, which are outgrowths of tough skin, are often used in identifying individual whales, as they are unique to each animal, similar to fingerprints in humans. (australiaforeveryone.com.au)
  • Each whale has a unique pattern, just like we have fingerprints, that allows conservationists and researchers to spot individuals. (centraldevelopments.co.za)
  • As a 48-day whale survey in the North Pacific drew to a close, Jessica Crance heard a series of gunshot calls-vocalizations unique to the right whale. (sailworldcruising.com)
  • The eastern population is distinct and unique-it is the only right whale population in the world that has been found to sing. (sailworldcruising.com)
  • Up to 18m in length and weighing in at up to a colossal 90 tonnes, these whales can be distinguished by their dark grey to black skin and white growths on their heads - these are called callosities and are unique to each individual much like a fingerprint. (hermanuswhalewatching.com)
  • Based upon the photographs we took from our balcony vantage point and offered to conservationists, this right whale was identified by the unique callosities on his face-and as luck would have it, he has a well-documented history. (scriptacuity.com)
  • But Skerry points to anthropomorphic behaviors backed by science- orcas showing grief or beluga whales squealing with joy , for example. (nationalgeographic.com)
  • Not really whales at all, orcas are the largest member of the dolphin family - and also its most powerful carnivore. (travelink.com)
  • Until about a decade ago, the senior marine biologist and naturalist could regularly spot her favorite species of whale, the North Atlantic right whale, which relied on the Bay of Fundy as a "critical feeding habitat," she told McClatchy News. (yahoo.com)
  • For more than 30 years the Center for Coastal Studies Right Whale Ecology Program has worked to learn more about North Atlantic right whales, their use of Cape Cod Bay, and their habitat requirements. (capecodlife.com)
  • With whale watching operators springing up all along the coastline, viewing the magnificent creatures in their natural habitat is easy. (australiaforeveryone.com.au)
  • Sadly, North Pacific right whales are seriously threatened by habitat loss, human disturbance, entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with vessels - dangers they face every single day. (whales.org)
  • They are one of the most well known types of whales thanks to their being held captive in marine aquariums where they are taught to perform tricks. (coolantarctica.com)
  • So let's have a look at the different types of whales you are likely to witness as we venture away from shore. (naturalistecharters.com.au)
  • All the different types of whales we see have particular features and mannerisms which set them apart from other species, and help us identify which species we are seeing. (naturalistecharters.com.au)
  • The North Pacific right whale has a very large head, approximately one-quarter of its body length, with strongly arched jaws. (alaska.gov)
  • There are light, wart-like spots on its head called callosities. (alaska.gov)
  • Right whales have a large bulbous head and lack the streamlined shape of other whales. (coolantarctica.com)
  • The Right whale is a baleen whale with a large, bow-shaped head and an arched mouth. (enchantedlearning.com)
  • Like other right whales, the Southern Right Whale is readily distinguished from other whales by the callosities on its head, a broad back without a dorsal fin, and a long arching mouth that begins above the eye. (australiaforeveryone.com.au)
  • Southern right whales are characterized by their uniformly dark colour and white callosities found on and around the head. (australiaforeveryone.com.au)
  • Playing with kelp: Whales lift pieces of loose kelp on head or back. (whalecoast.info)
  • The name derives from 'Southern' to distinguish from the Northern variety of this specie: which has a greater number of callosities (parasites which attach to the skin) on the head and less on its lower lip. (orcafoundation.com)
  • It is a game of patience and skill, as the critical moment the whale lifts its head can sometimes only last a split second before the chance has gone. (walkaboutphotos.com)
  • Carrying one third of their body weight, the North Pacific right whale has a huge, handsome head that is etched with a strongly arched mouthline. (whales.org)
  • It may also have fewer callosities ( see more below ) on its head and more on its lower lips than the two northern species. (capetown-coach-hire.com)
  • These callosities are easily spotted when the whales come to the surface to breath especially since they also often raise their chin or entire head during social contact with other whales. (capetown-coach-hire.com)
  • More secretive than other whales in Antarctica as they seldom jump and do not show their flukes when diving, the best way to spot a fin whale is to look for the large splashguard in front of the blowhole on its flat, broad head. (travelink.com)