IUCN Red List of Endangered SpeciesTM
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North Atlantic Right Whale

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<p>A right whale breaches, lifting its huge body out of the water.</p>

A right whale breaches, lifting its huge body out of the water.

Courtesy of the New England Aquarium

Stretching up to 16.8 meters (55 feet) long and weighing up to 62 tons (70 tons), the North Atlantic right whale is one of the world’s largest animals—and one of the most endangered whales. Scientists estimate that fewer than 450 individuals remain. Why so few?

For generations the right whale was hunted for oil and baleen. Today about a third of right whale deaths are the result of collisions with ships and entanglements in fishing gear. Some scientists fear that right whales could become extinct within 200 years. To prevent that from happening, scientists are using a variety of innovative techniques to study, protect, and rescue right whales. It’s the right thing to do!

Adult right whales have no predators other than humans.

– New England Aquarium

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Cool Stuff

A right whale opens wide, revealing huge plates of baleen hanging from its upper jaw.
An enormous whale with no teeth and head lice? A mega-ton mammal that survives by eating creatures the size of a grain of rice? Researchers who use dogs to detect whale poop? Whales with anklebones? Check it all out here!
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Sections

Life & Natural History

Whale size comparison chart: Blue whale (69-90+ feet) , Finback (72-82 feet), Right whale (45-60 feet), Humpback (42-50 feet), Sperm whale (35-60 feet), Minke whale (28-30 feet), Killer whale (23-31 feet), Beluga (13-15 feet), and Narwhal (13-15 feet).

Meet not only the North Atlantic right whale but also some other fascinating members of its family tree—past and present. Travel back to the times when whales walked on land and the mighty, serpent-like Basilosaurus prowled the seas.

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Science

So what are scientists doing to protect the remaining right whales? Everything they can think of including taking pictures from airplanes, attaching radios to whales’ backs, listening underwater for their comings and goings…and much more.

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Human Connections

During whale hunts, this carved whale box stored harpoon blades like the three shown beside it.

Why were right whales considered the “right” whale to hunt for so many years? What threats do they face today? Do these critically endangered whales have a fighting chance? Find out here.

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Comments

From blog it says you can find poll on species pages and the link leads you here but I didn't find any polls?

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 01/22/2010 - 9:29pm.

We will be adding polls to the species pages soon, but for now I have fixed blog post so it points toward the polls on the Homepage and the Ocean Life & Ecosystem page. Good eye, and thanks for letting us know!

Submitted by Ocean Portal Team on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 2:12pm.

I have learnt a very good thing from this and I also support those people who are involved with the preservation & protection work of the endangered sea animals

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 11:40pm.

This whale is amazing, I love it. I want to be a Marine Biologist and I just am amazing by this glorious gentle but huge animal. I used to scared by their size, but who can be scared of such a gentle animal. Welcome to Marine life, you never know what's going to happen or what you will find!

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 5:36pm.

The Japan whale harvest has been cut short by the persistent harassment of a U.S.-based anti-whaling organization. Regardless of a global whaling moratorium, Japan exploits a loophole that allows legal whaling for research reasons. I found this here: Anti-whaling harassment ends 2011 Japanese whaling season early Groups such as the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society are making whaling economically unfeasible, and whale meat is no longer considered vital to the Japanese diet.

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 5:05am.

Its truly amazing!!!!these animals are really cool but there really in danger.Im glad your helping out and I will too!!!!!!

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 04/09/2012 - 4:40pm.

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