The southern right whale (''Eubalaena australis'') is a
baleen whale
Baleen whales (), also known as whalebone whales, are marine mammals of the order (biology), parvorder Mysticeti in the infraorder Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises), which use baleen plates (or "whalebone") in their mouths to sieve plankt ...
, one of three species classified as
right whale
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''). They are class ...
s belonging to the genus ''Eubalaena''. Southern right whales inhabit oceans south of the Equator, between the latitudes of 20° and 60° south.
In 2009 the global population was estimated to be approximately 13,600.
Taxonomy
Right whales were first classified in the genus ''
Balaena
''Balaena'' is a genus of cetacean (whale) in the family Balaenidae. ''Balaena'' is considered a monotypic genus, as it has only a single extant species, the bowhead whale (''B. mysticetus''). It was named in 1758 by Linnaeus, who at the time con ...
'' in 1758 by
Carl Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...
, who at the time considered all right whales (including the bowhead) to be a single species. In the 19th and 20th centuries the family
Balaenidae
Balaenidae () is a Family (biology), family of whales of the parvorder Mysticeti (baleen whales) that contains mostly fossil taxa and two living genera: the right whale (genus ''Eubalaena''), and the closely related bowhead whale (genus ''Balaena ...
was the subject of great taxonometric debate. Authorities have repeatedly recategorised 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. In the early whaling days, they were all thought to be a single species, ''Balaena mysticetus''.
The southern right whale was initially described as ''Balaena australis'' by Desmoulins in 1822. Eventually, it was recognised that bowheads and right whales were different, and
John Edward Gray
John Edward Gray (12 February 1800 – 7 March 1875) was a British zoologist. He was the elder brother of zoologist George Robert Gray and son of the pharmacologist and botanist Samuel Frederick Gray (1766–1828). The same is used for a z ...
proposed the genus ''Eubalaena'' for the right whale in 1864. 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
The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the world ocean, generally taken to be south of 60th parallel south, 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is the seco ...
.
As recently as 1998, Rice, in his comprehensive and otherwise authoritative classification, ''Marine mammals of the world: systematics and distribution'', listed just two species: ''Balaena glacialis'' (all of the right whales) and ''Balaena mysticetus'' (the bowheads).
In 2000, Rosenbaum et al. disagreed, based on data from their genetic study of
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...
samples from each of the whale populations. Genetic evidence now shows that the northern and southern populations of right whale have not interbred for between 3 million and 12 million years, confirming the southern right whale as a distinct species. The northern Pacific and Atlantic populations are also distinct, with the North Pacific right whale being more closely related to the southern right whale than to the North Atlantic right whale.
Genetic differences between ''E. japonica'' (North Pacific) and ''E. australis'' (South Pacific) are much smaller than other baleen whales represent among different ocean basins.
It is believed that the right whale populations first split because of the joining of North and South America when the
Panama isthmus
The Isthmus of Panama, historically known as the Isthmus of Darien, is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North and South America. The country of Panama is located on the isthmus, along w ...
formed. The rising temperatures at the
equator
The equator is the circle of latitude that divides Earth into the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Southern Hemisphere, Southern Hemispheres of Earth, hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, about in circumferen ...
then created a second split, into the northern and southern groups, preventing them from interbreeding.
[Palaeobiology and Biodiversity Research Group](_blank)
, University of Bristol
In 2002, the Scientific Committee of the
International Whaling Commission
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is a specialised regional fishery management organisation, established under the terms of the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) to "provide for the proper conservation ...
(IWC) accepted Rosenbaum's findings, and recommended that the ''Eubalaena'' nomenclature be retained for this genus.
The
cladogram
A cladogram (from Greek language, Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an Phylogenetic tree, evolutionary tree because it does not s ...
is a tool for visualising and comparing the evolutionary relationships between
taxa
In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; : taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular name and ...
. The point where a node branches off is analogous to an evolutionary branching – the diagram can be read left-to-right, much like a timeline. The following cladogram of the family Balaenidae serves to illustrate the current scientific consensus as to the relationships between the southern right whale and the other members of its family.
Other
junior synonym
In taxonomy, the scientific classification of living organisms, a synonym is an alternative scientific name for the accepted scientific name of a taxon. The botanical and zoological codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently.
...
s for ''E. australis'' have included ''B. antarctica'' (Lesson, 1828), ''B. antipodarum'' (Gray, 1843), ''Hunterus temminckii'' (Gray, 1864), and ''E. glacialis australis'' (Tomilin, 1962) (see side panel for more synonyms).
Description
Like other right whales, the southern right whale is readily distinguished from others by the
callosities on its head, a broad back without a
dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates. Dorsal fins have evolved independently several times through convergent evolution adapting to marine environments, so the fins are not all homologous. They are found ...
, and a long arching mouth that begins above the eye. Its skin is very dark grey or black, occasionally with some white patches on the belly. The right whale's callosities appear white due to large colonies of cyamids (
whale lice). It is almost indistinguishable from the closely related
North Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for ...
and the
North Pacific right whale
The North Pacific right whale (''Eubalaena japonica'') is a very large, thickset baleen whale species that is extremely rare and endangered.
The Northeast Pacific population, which summers in the southeastern Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, may ...
s, displaying only minor skull differences. It may have fewer callosities on its head than North Atlantic and more on its lower lips than the two northern species.
The biological functions of callosities are unclear, although protection against predators has been put forward as the primal role.
An adult female is
[Branch, G.M., Branch, M.L, Griffiths, C.L. and Beckley, L.E. 2010. ''Two Oceans: a guide to the marine life of southern Africa'' ] and can weigh up to ,
with the larger records of
in length and or up to in weight, making them slightly smaller than other right whales in the
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined by humans as being in the same celestial sphere, celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the Solar ...
. The testicles of right whales are likely to be the largest of any animal, each weighing around . This suggests that
sperm competition
Sperm competition is the competitive process between Spermatozoon, spermatozoa of two or more different males to fertility, fertilize the same Egg cell, egg during sexual reproduction. Competition can occur when females have multiple potential m ...
is important in the mating process.
The proportion and numbers of molten-coloured individuals are notable in this species compared with the other species in the Northern Hemisphere. Some whales remain white even after growing up.
The median lifespan is around 73, with some individuals surviving to over 130.
Behaviour

Like other right whales, they are rather active on the water surface and curious towards human vessels. Southern rights appear to be more active and tend to interact with humans more than the other two northern species. One behaviour unique to the southern right whale, known as ''
tail sailing
Tail sailing refers to the action of whales lifting their tails clear of the water for long periods of time. The process is rarely observed by humans, and the precise motivation for this phenomenon is unknown. It is thought that whales either ...
'', is that of using their elevated flukes to catch the wind, remaining in the same position for a considerable amount of time. It appears to be a form of play and is most commonly seen off the coast of Argentina and South Africa.
Some other species such as
humpback whale
The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the monotypic taxon, only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh u ...
s are also known to display. Right whales are often seen interacting with other cetaceans, especially humpback whales and
dolphin
A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in the cetacean clade Odontoceti (toothed whale). Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontopori ...
s. There have been records of southern rights and humpbacks thought to be involved in mating activities off
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...
,
and along
Bahia
Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...
, Brazil.
A female southern right whale was spotted off the coast of Western Australia accompanying a lone humpback whale calf, although the actual relationship of this pair is unclear.
Reproduction
Southern right whales display strong
maternal fidelity to their calving grounds. Calving females are known to return to calving grounds at 3-year intervals.
The most commonly observed calving interval is 3 years, but intervals can range from 2 to 21 years. Calving takes place between June and November
in calving grounds between 20 and 30° S.
In Australia, southern right whales have shown a preference for calving grounds along coastlines with high wave energy, such as the
Head of the Bight
Head of the Bight (also called Head of Bight) is a bay located in South Australia at the most northern extent of the Great Australian Bight.
Flora and fauna
Southern right whale
It is one of two locations on Australia's south coast where south ...
. Here, the sound of breaking waves may mask the sound of the whales' presence, and so protect infants and calving cows from predators such as
killer whale
The orca (''Orcinus orca''), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'', it is recognizable by its black-and-white-patterned body. A cosmopolit ...
s. Deep waters alongside shallower calving grounds may serve as training grounds for calves to build up their stamina ahead of migration.
Females give birth to their first calf when they are between eight and ten years old. A single calf is born after a
gestation period
In mammals, pregnancy is the period of reproduction during which a female carries one or more live offspring from implantation in the uterus through gestation. It begins when a fertilized zygote implants in the female's uterus, and ends once i ...
of one year, about in weight and in length. The calf usually remains with its mother during the first year of its life, during which time it will double in length.
Southern right whales have been observed nursing unrelated orphans on occasions.
Feeding
Like right whales in other oceans, southern right whales feed almost exclusively on
zooplankton
Zooplankton are the heterotrophic component of the planktonic community (the " zoo-" prefix comes from ), having to consume other organisms to thrive. Plankton are aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents. Consequent ...
, particularly krill.
They feed just beneath the water's surface, holding their mouths partly open and skimming water continuously while swimming. They strain the water out through their long
baleen plates to capture their prey. A southern right whale's baleen can measure up to long, and is made up of 220–260 baleen plates.
Population and distribution
The global population of southern right whales was estimated at 13,611 in 2009.
An estimate published by
National Geographic
''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...
in October 2008 put the southern whale population at 10,000. A population estimate of 7,000 followed a March 1998
IWC workshop. Researchers used population data from three surveys of adult females in the 1990s (Argentina, South Africa and Australia). They extrapolated to include the population of unsurveyed areas, and used known male-to-female and adult-to-calf ratios to estimate and include numbers of males and calves. Recovery of the overall population size of the species is predicted to be at less than 50% of its pre-whaling state by 2100 due to heavier impacts of whaling and slower recovery rates. Since hunting ceased, the population is estimated to have grown by 7% a year.
The southern right whale spends summer in the far Southern Ocean feeding, probably close to
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...
. If the opportunity arises, feeding can occur even in temperate waters such as along
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
. It migrates north in winter for breeding and can be seen by the coasts of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Namibia, Mozambique, Peru,
Tristan de Cunha, Uruguay, Madagascar, New Zealand and South Africa; whales have also been known to winter in sub-Antarctic regions.
It appears that the South American, South African and Australasian groups intermix very little if at all, because maternal fidelity to feeding and calving habitats is very strong. The mother also passes these choices to her calves.
Right whales do not normally cross the warm equatorial waters to connect with the other species and (inter)breed: their thick layers of insulating
blubber
Blubber is a thick layer of Blood vessel, vascularized adipose tissue under the skin of all cetaceans, pinnipeds, penguins, and sirenians. It was present in many marine reptiles, such as Ichthyosauria, ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs.
Description ...
make it difficult for them to dissipate their internal body heat in tropical waters. Based on historical records and unconfirmed sightings in modern periods, ''E. australis'' transits may sometimes occur through equatorial waters.
Whaling records for the hemisphere include a whaling ground in the central northern Indian Ocean
and recent sightings among near-equatorial regions. If the sighting off
Kiribati
Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the central Pacific Ocean. Its permanent population is over 119,000 as of the 2020 census, and more than half live on Tarawa. The st ...
was truly of ''E. australis'', this species may have crossed the
Equator
The equator is the circle of latitude that divides Earth into the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Southern Hemisphere, Southern Hemispheres of Earth, hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, about in circumferen ...
on irregular occasions and their original distributions might have been much broader and more northerly distributed than is currently believed.
A stranding of a 21.3 m (71 feet) right whale at
Gajana, northwestern India in November 1944 was reported, but the true identity of this animal is unclear.
Aside from impacts on whales and environments caused by mankind, their distributions and residences could be largely affected by presences of natural predators or enemies,
and similar trends are also probable for other subspecies.
Many locations throughout the
Southern Hemisphere were named after current or former presences of southern rights, including
Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay (; ; ) is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies. It is the List of cities in Namibia, second largest city in Namibia and the largest coastal city in the country. The city covers an area of of land.
The bay is a ...
,
Punta Ballena
Punta Ballena is a small peninsula (''punta'') and a resort (''balneario''), as well as an important tourist attraction on the coast of Río de la Plata in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay. It comprises an approximately long stripe ...
,
Right Whale Bay
Right Whale Bay is a bay 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide, entered between Craigie Point and Nameless Point along the north coast of South Georgia Island. The bay is named for the southern right whales found in the area. South Georgia has historical ...
,
Otago Harbour
Otago Harbour is the harbor, natural harbour of Dunedin, New Zealand, consisting of a long, much-indented stretch of generally navigable water separating the Otago Peninsula from the mainland. They join at its southwest end, from the harbour m ...
,
Whangarei Harbour,
Foveaux Strait
Foveaux Strait ( ; ) is a strait that separates Stewart Island from the South Island of New Zealand. The width of the strait ranges from about , and the depth varies between . The strait was first charted by an American Seal hunting, sealer, O ...
,
South Taranaki Bight
The South Taranaki Bight is a large bay on the west coast of New Zealand, south of Taranaki, west of the Manawatu, north and west of the western entrance of Cook Strait and north of the South Island. The name is sometimes used for a much smaller ...
,
Moutohora Island
Moutohora Island (previously known as Whale Island) () is a small uninhabited island located off the Bay of Plenty coast of New Zealand's North Island, about north of the town of Whakatāne. The island is a remnant of a complex volcano which ...
and
Wineglass Bay.
Africa
South Africa
Hermanus
Hermanus (; originally called ''Hermanuspietersfontein'', but shortened in 1902 as the name was too long for the postal service in South Africa has become known as a centre for whale watching. During the Southern Hemisphere winter months (June – October) the southern right whales migrate to the coastal waters of South Africa, with more than 100 whales known to visit the Hermanus area. Whilst in the area, the whales can be seen with their young as they come to
Walker Bay
Walker Bay is a large bay located in the south-western Western Cape province of South Africa. It is the next major bay between False Bay near Cape Town and Cape Agulhas to the south-east. The bay is famous for having some of the best land based w ...
to calve and mate. Many behaviours such as breaching, sailing, lobtailing, or spyhopping can be witnessed. In
False Bay
False Bay (Afrikaans: ''Valsbaai'') is a body of water in the Atlantic Ocean between the mountainous Cape Peninsula and the Hottentots Holland Mountains in the extreme south-west of South Africa. The mouth of the bay faces south and is demarc ...
whales can be seen from the shore from July to October while both
Plettenberg Bay
Plettenberg Bay, nicknamed Plett, is the primary town of the Bitou Local Municipality in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. According to the census of 2001, the town had a population of 29,149. It was originally named Bahia Formosa ("Be ...
and
Algoa Bay
Algoa Bay is a maritime bay in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It is located on the east coast, east of the Cape of Good Hope.
Algoa Bay is bounded in the west by Cape Recife and in the east by Cape Padrone. The bay is up to deep. The harbour ...
are also home to the southern right whales from July to December. They can be viewed from land as well as by boat with licensed operators conducting ocean safaris throughout the year.
Recent increases in numbers of whales visiting the north-eastern part of South Africa, the so-called
Dolphin Coast such as around
Ballito
Ballito is an affluent coastal town located in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Ballito is about north of Durban and 24 kilometres (15 mi) south of KwaDukuza. It forms part of the KwaDukuza Local Municipality, and iLembe District Municipality. ...
and off
Umdloti Beach, indicates the whales' normal ranges are expanding and that re-colonising historical habitats will likely continue as more whales migrate further north.
Western Africa
In Namibia, the majority of confirmed whales are restricted to the south of
Luderitz, on the southwestern coast. Only a handful of animals venture further north to historical breeding grounds such as at Walvis Bay, but their numbers are slowly increasing. Until illegal hunting ceased, whales were rare along Namibian shores, with no sighting recorded north of
Orange River
The Orange River (from Afrikaans/Dutch language, Dutch: ''Oranjerivier'') is a river in Southern Africa. It is the longest river in South Africa. With a total length of , the Orange River Basin extends from Lesotho into South Africa and Namibi ...
until 1971. Calving activities were first confirmed as recently as the 1980s.
Historical records suggest that this whale's regular range could have once reached further northwards up the coasts of
Cape Fria
Cape Fria (literally "cold cape") is a headland overlooking the South Atlantic Ocean situated along the northern shoreline of Namibia, about 120 km (75 mi) to the northwest of Mowe Bay and 200 km to the south of the Angolan border. ...
(northern Namibia)
and
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
as far as
Baia dos Tigres (Tiger Bay).
Whaling is known to have been carried out off the coast of
Gabon
Gabon ( ; ), officially the Gabonese Republic (), is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, on the equator, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and ...
,
for example at
Cape Lopez
Cape Lopez () is a headland on the coast of Gabon, west central Africa. The westernmost point of Gabon, it separates the Gulf of Guinea from the South Atlantic Ocean. Cape Lopez is the northernmost point of a low, wooded island between two mouths ...
, and there have been a few confirmed and unconfirmed sightings including one by Jim Darling, a renowned whale researcher.
Eastern Africa
Southern right whales have been spotted in very small numbers off Mozambique and Madagascar. Whales were historically seen in large numbers at various locations such as off the coast of
Durban
Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal.
Situated on the east coast of South ...
, in
Delagoa/Maputo Bay,
Inhaca Island
Inhaca Island (Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Ilha da Inhaca''), also known as Kanyaka island, is a subtropical island of Mozambique off the East African coast. The main village is Inhaca, situated just over a kilometer from Inhaca Airport. V ...
,
Ponta do Ouro
Ponta do Ouro (also Ponta d'Ouro) is a town in the extreme south of Mozambique, lying on the Mozambique Channel, south of Maputo and just north of the border with South Africa.
The name is Portuguese for "tip of gold", referring to a cape at the ...
, and around the
Bazaruto Archipelago
The Bazaruto Archipelago () is a group of six islands in Mozambique, near the mainland city of Vilankulo. It comprises the islands of Bazaruto, Benguerra, Magaruque, Santa Carolina and Bangué.
Geography
The group belongs to the Vilanculo ...
.
The first sighting off Mozambique since the end of whaling was in 1997. In recent years, more whales seem to migrate further north to calve, such as at
Île Sainte-Marie
Nosy Boraha , also known as Sainte-Marie, main town Ambodifotatra, is an island off the east coast of Madagascar. The island forms an administrative district within Analanjirofo Region, and covers an area of 222 km2.
It has a population e ...
,
Antongil Bay
''Helodranon' Antongila'' (Bay of Antongila), more commonly called Antongil Bay in English, is the largest bay in Madagascar. This bay is on the island's east coast, toward the northern end of the eastern coastline of the island. It is within A ...
,
Fort Dauphin Fort Dauphin may refer to:
;Canada
* Fort Dauphin (Manitoba), in Manitoba
* Fort Dauphin (Nova Scotia), in Nova Scotia
;Haiti
* Fort-Liberté
Fort-Liberté (; ) is a List of communes of Haiti, commune and administrative capital of the Nord-Est ...
Toliara
Toliara (also known as ''Toliary'', ; formerly ''Tuléar'') is a city in southern Madagascar. It is the capital of the Atsimo-Andrefana region, located 936 km southwest of the national capital Antananarivo.
The current spelling of the name ...
,
Anakao
Anakao is a coastal municipality, somewhere on the southwest coast of Madagascar, 35 kilometres south of Toliara
Toliara (also known as ''Toliary'', ; formerly ''Tuléar'') is a city in southern Madagascar. It is the capital of the Atsimo-Andre ...
,
Andavadoaka
Andavadoaka is a small fishing village located on the southwest coast of Madagascar. It is located in the Morombe (district), 45 km south of the town of Morombe in the region of Atsimo-Andrefana. It belongs to the rural municipality of Befan ...
, and
Antsiranana Bay
Antsiranana Bay (also known as Diego-Suarez Bay) is a natural bay that stretches close to north to south along the northeast coast of Madagascar. The waters average a depth of more than , and the main channel can be as deep as . The bay, protect ...
, at Madagascar's northern tip. Infrequent sightings have been confirmed off the island of
Mayotte
Mayotte ( ; , ; , ; , ), officially the Department of Mayotte (), is an Overseas France, overseas Overseas departments and regions of France, department and region and single territorial collectivity of France. It is one of the Overseas departm ...
. Whales were historically taken off the coast of Tanzania, and may still be present occasionally around
Zanzibar
Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small Island, islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. ...
.
Mid–South Atlantic
Due to illegal whaling by the
USSR
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, the recovery of many stocks including the population off
Tristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunha (), colloquially Tristan, is a remote group of volcano, volcanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is one of three constituent parts of the British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascensi ...
and adjacent areas such as
Gough Island
Gough Island ( ), also known historically as Gonçalo Álvares, is a rugged volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a dependency of Tristan da Cunha and part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan d ...
has been severely hindered, resulting in relatively few numbers of visiting animals.
Based on catch records and recent observations, right whales may be seen as far north as the islands of
Saint Helena
Saint Helena (, ) is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory.
Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km ...
and
Ascension Island
Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island, 7°56′ south of the Equator in the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean. It is about from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America. It is governed as part of the British Overs ...
.
South America
Brazil

In Brazil, more than 300 individuals have been cataloged through photo identification (using head callosities) by the Brazilian Right Whale Project, maintained jointly by
Petrobras
Petróleo Brasileiro S.A., better known by and Trade name, trading as the portmanteau Petrobras (), is a Brazilian state-owned enterprise, majority state-owned multinational corporation in the petroleum industry headquartered in Rio de Janeiro. ...
(the Brazilian state-owned oil company), and the
conservation
Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws.
Conservation may also refer to:
Environment and natural resources
* Nature conservation, the protection and manage ...
group, the
International Wildlife Coalition. The State of
Santa Catarina hosts a concentration of breeding and calving right whales from June to November, and females from this population also calve off Argentinian
Patagonia
Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...
and
Uruguay
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
. In recent years, possibly due to changing habitat environments by human activities and conflicts with local fisheries, the number of whales visiting the coasts is decreasing. Sighting in locations other than Santa Catarina and
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul (, ; ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative units of Brazil#List, fifth-most populous state and the List of Brazilian s ...
remain sporadic, such as along
Cidreira,
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
coasts like Sepetiba Bay (
pt),
Cabo Frio
Cabo Frio (, ''Cold Cape'') is a tourist destination located in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
The Brazilian coast runs east from Rio de Janeiro to Cabo Frio where it turns sharply north. North of Cabo Frio is Cabo de São Tomé.
It was named aft ...
,
Macaé
Macaé () is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, 180 km northeast of the state capital. It is the birthplace of the 13th president of Brazil, Washington Luís.
Geography Location
Macaé is generally consider ...
,
Prado, Bahia
Prado is a municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil.
The municipality contains the Descobrimento National Park, a conservation unit of created in 1999.
It also contains part of the Corumbau Marine Extractive Rese ...
, Castelhanos Bay in
Ilha Bela,
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
coasts such as within
Ilha Anchieta State Park, Honey Island, and bays and estuaries of
Paranaguá
Paranaguá (Tupi language, Tupi, 'Great Round Sea') is a city in the state of Paraná (state), Paraná in Brazil. Founded in 1648, it is Paraná's oldest city. It is known for the Port of Paranaguá, which serves as both the sea link for Curitiba, ...
and
Superagui National Park,
Paraná Paraná, Paranã or Parana may refer to:
Geology
* Paraná Basin, a sedimentary basin in South America
Places In Argentina
*Paraná, Entre Ríos, a city
* Paraná Department, a part of Entre Ríos Province
In Brazil
*Paraná (state), a state ...
, and even entering into the lagoon of
Lagoa dos Patos Lagoa (Portuguese for ''lagoon'') may refer to the following:
People
* Barbara Lagoa, Cuban-American federal judge
Places Brazil
* Campina da Lagoa, Paraná
* Lagoa, Paraíba, Paraíba
* Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro, a quarter of Rio de Janeiro
* Lagoa ...
. Recent studies also show a decrease in the number of sightings along the southeastern Brazilian coast, which includes the highly urbanized States of
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
and
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
.
Further north, small numbers of whales migrate every year to winter or calve in
Bahia
Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...
,
in particular at the
Abrolhos Archipelago
The Abrolhos Archipelago () are a group of 5 small islands with coral reefs off the southern coast of Bahia state in the Northeast Region, Brazil, northeast of Brazil, between 17º25’—18º09’ S and 38º33’—39º05’ W. Caravelas is the ...
. Here, certain individuals are recorded returning at intervals of 3 or 4 years. Whaling records including those prior to Maury and Townsend indicate that right whales were once more frequent visitors further north, for example at
Salvador, Bahia
Salvador () is a Municipalities of Brazil, Brazilian municipality and capital city of the Federative units of Brazil, state of Bahia. Situated in the Zona da Mata in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of Brazil, Salvador is recognize ...
.
Argentina
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
hosts the world's largest breeding population of southern right whales at
Península Valdés,
Chubut province
Chubut ( from Tehuelche language, Tehuelche 'transparent'; ) is a provinces of Argentina, province in southern Argentina, situated between the 42nd parallel south (the border with Río Negro Province), the 46th parallel south (bordering Santa ...
, with over 2000 estimated individuals gathering on the gulfs of the peninsula during breeding season. The whales are considered a "natural monument" and protected under Argentine law, and there is a developed whale-watching tourism around them.
During the 2012 annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission's Scientific Committee, data was presented regarding the continued phenomenon of southern right whale
strandings and high rate of mortality at
Península Valdés. Between 2003 and 2011, a total of 482 dead right whales were recorded at Península Valdés. There were at least 55 whale deaths in 2010, and 61 in 2011. As in previous years, the vast majority of strandings were calves of the season.
There have been increasing sightings in various other locations in recent years, such as on
Golfo San Jorge
The San Jorge Gulf (Golfo San Jorge; Spanish for ''Gulf of St. George'') is a bay in southern Patagonia, Argentina. It is an ocean basin opening to the Atlantic. Its shoreline spans Chubut and Santa Cruz province. The gulf measures approximately ...
,
Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego (, ; Spanish for "Land of Fire", rarely also Fireland in English) is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South America, South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan.
The archipelago consists of the main is ...
,
Puerto Deseado
Puerto Deseado, originally called Port Desire, is a city of about 15,000 inhabitants and a fishing port in Patagonia in Santa Cruz Province of Argentina, on the estuary of the Deseado River.
It was named ''Port Desire'' by the privateer Thomas ...
,
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata is a city on the coast of the Argentine Sea, Atlantic Ocean, in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the seat of General Pueyrredón Partido, General Pueyrredón district. Mar del Plata is the second largest city in Buenos Aires ...
,
Miramar, Buenos Aires
Miramar is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in Buenos Aires Province, south of Buenos Aires. It is the administrative seat of General Alvarado Partido. The name "Miramar" comes from the words ''mira'' (view) and ' ...
, and
Bahía Blanca
Bahía Blanca (; English: ''White Bay''), colloquially referred to by its own local inhabitants as simply Bahía, is a city in the Buenos Aires Province, Buenos Aires province of Argentina, centered on the northwestern end of the eponymous Blanc ...
.
Uruguay
In
Uruguay
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
, coastal areas such as
Punta del Este
Punta del Este () is a seaside city and peninsula on the Atlantic Coast in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay. Starting as a small town, Punta del Este grew to become a resort for the Latin and North American jet set and tourists. T ...
host congregating sites for whales in breeding seasons, but these are not likely to be calving grounds.
In 2013 the Uruguayan parliament approved unanimously the creation of the
Uruguayan Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary
The Uruguayan Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary, established in 2013, aims to protect dolphins and whales from hunting, pursuit, aggression or intentional dibsturbance in waters within the Uruguayan government's jurisdiction. The sanctuary encompasses ...
to aid the recovery of the population. The sanctuary encompasses the entire Uruguayan
Territorial Waters
Territorial waters are informally an area of water where a sovereign state has jurisdiction, including internal waters, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone, and potentially the extended continental shelf ( ...
and
Exclusive Economic Zone
An exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has exclusive rights regarding the exploration and use of marine natural resource, reso ...
covering a total of 125,436 km
2.
Chile and Peru
For the critically endangered Chile/Peru population, the
Cetacean Conservation Center
The Cetacean Conservation Center (Centro de Conservación Cetacea or CCC) is a Chilean NGO dedicated to the conservation of cetaceans and other marine mammals that inhabit the coastal waters of Chile. The CCC also engages in public education and ...
(CCC) has been working on a separate programme for right whales. This population, containing no more than 50 individuals, is under threat from an increase in shipping lanes and the fishing industries. 124 sightings in total were recorded during the period 1964–2008. Aside from vagrants' records, Peru's coastlines possibly host one of the northernmost confirmed range of the species along with Gabon,
Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
,
Tanzania
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
, Brazilian coasts, Madagascar, Indian Ocean, western Australia, Kermadec Islands, and tropical waters including
South Pacific Islands
The Pacific islands are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are further categorized into three major island groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Depending on the context, the term ''Pacific Islands'' may refer to one of several ...
.
The
Alfaguara project
The Alfaguara project is a marine life conservation project operated from Puñihuil in the northwest of Chiloé Island, the main island in the Chiloé Archipelago in southern Chile.
"Alfaguara" was the name given to blue whales by Chilean whal ...
targeting cetaceans in
Chiloe may possibly target this species as well in the future since calving activities have been confirmed in
Chiloé Archipelago
The Chiloé Archipelago (, , ) is a group of islands lying off the coast of Chile, in the Los Lagos Region. It is separated from mainland Chile by the Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and the Gulf of Corcovado in the s ...
. Foraging grounds of this population is currently undetected, but possibly Chiloé and down south of
Caleta Zorra
Caleta Zorra (meaning "Bay of foxes" in Spanish) is an enclosed, half-moon shaped inlet on the Pacific coast of Chiloé Island in Los Lagos region, southern Chile. Lying north of Punta Pabellion, it is located among Punta Zorra and Punta Barranc ...
to southern
fiord
In physical geography, a fjord (also spelled fiord in New Zealand English; ) is a long, narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Antarctica, the Arctic, and surrounding landmasses of the no ...
s such as from
Penas Gulf to
Beagle Channel
Beagle Channel (; Yahgan language, Yahgan: ''Onašaga'') is a strait in the Tierra del Fuego, Tierra del Fuego Archipelago, on the extreme southern tip of South America between Chile and Argentina. The channel separates the larger main island of I ...
although numbers of confirmations are small in the
Beagle Channel
Beagle Channel (; Yahgan language, Yahgan: ''Onašaga'') is a strait in the Tierra del Fuego, Tierra del Fuego Archipelago, on the extreme southern tip of South America between Chile and Argentina. The channel separates the larger main island of I ...
. Hopes are arising for the establishment of a new tourism industry on the eastern side of the
Strait of Magellan
The Strait of Magellan (), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and the Tierra del Fuego archipelago to the south. Considered the most important natura ...
, especially near
Cape Virgenes
Cape Virgenes () is the southeastern promontory of continental Argentina in South America. A little to the south-west,the southernmost point of land is Punta Dúngeness. Ferdinand Magellan reached it on 21 October 1520 during the Spanish expe ...
and
Punta Dungeness
Punta is an Afro-Indigenous dance and cultural music deeply rooted in the cultural traditions of the Garifuna of Honduras. It heavily incorporates West African/Central African drumming, the dance primarily of Angola and Congo origins. The musi ...
, as the number of sightings increases.
[The Fundación Cethus. 2014]
Realizamos nuestra 5° campaña en Cabo Vírgenes, Santa Cruz
Retrieved 16 December 2014. It is unknown whether these increases are due to re-colonisation by whales from the Patagonian population.
Occurrences of brindle individuals have been confirmed from this population as well.
Oceania
Historically, populations of southern right whales in
Oceania
Oceania ( , ) is a region, geographical region including Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent, while Mainland Australia is regarded as its co ...
n regions were robust.
Early settlers of the
River Derwent in Tasmania complained that sounds of cavorting whales kept them awake at night.
(Similar stories exist about
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
, New Zealand,
but no primary sources could be found to support them.) In July 1804, clergyman Robert Knopwood claimed that in crossing the River Derwent, "we passed so many whales that it was dangerous for the boat to go up the river unless you kept very near the shore".
By the 1890s southern right whales had been brought to the brink of extinction, with over 25,000 whales killed in Australia and New Zealand.
Studies of population structure and mating systems have shown that the southwest Australian and New Zealand populations are genetically differentiated.
The results of satellite tracking suggest that there are at least some interactions between populations in Australia and New Zealand,
but the extent of this is unknown. The two groups may share migratory corridors and calving grounds.
The return of southern right whales to the Derwent River and other parts of Australia in recent decades is a sign that they are slowly recovering from their earlier exploitation to near extinction.
Australia

Southern right whales in Australian waters show higher rate of recoveries, as they have increased from 2,100 whales in 2008 to 3,500 in 2010.
Two genetically distinct groups inhabit Australian waters: the southwestern population of 2,900 whales – in 2012 currently holding the majority of the overall Australian population – and the critically endangered southeastern group, counting only dozens to 300 individuals.
= South Australia
=
Right whales can be found in many parts of southern Australia, where the largest population is found at the
Head of the Bight
Head of the Bight (also called Head of Bight) is a bay located in South Australia at the most northern extent of the Great Australian Bight.
Flora and fauna
Southern right whale
It is one of two locations on Australia's south coast where south ...
in
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
, a sparsely populated area south of the middle of the
Nullarbor Plain
The Nullarbor Plain ( ; Latin: feminine of 'no' and 'tree') is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country of southern Australia, located on the Great Australian Bight coast with the Great Victoria Desert to its no ...
. Over 100 individuals are seen there annually from June to October. Visitors can view the whales from cliff-top boardwalks and lookouts, with whales swimming almost directly below, or by taking a scenic flight over the marine park. A more accessible South Australian location for viewing whales is
Encounter Bay
Encounter Bay is a bay in the Australian state of South Australia located on the state's south central coast about south of the state capital of Adelaide. It was named by Matthew Flinders after his encounter on 8 April 1802 with Nicolas Bau ...
where the whales can be seen just off the beaches of the
Fleurieu Peninsula
The Fleurieu Peninsula ( ; locally mainly ) is a peninsula in the Australian state of South Australia located south of the state capital of Adelaide city centre, Adelaide.
History
Before British colonisation of South Australia, the western s ...
, centred around the surfing town of
Middleton. The whales have established a newer nursery-ground near
Eyre Peninsula
The Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded by the Spencer Gulf on the east, the Great Australian Bight on the west, and the Gawler Ranges to the north.
Earlier called Eyre's Peninsula, it was named after e ...
, especially at
Fowlers Bay. Numbers are much smaller at these locations compared to those in the Bight, with an average of a couple of whales per day, but there were regular sightings of more than ten whales at a time off Basham Beach, near Middleton. The South Australian Whale Centre at
Victor Harbor has information on the history of whaling and whale-watching in the area, and maintains an on-line database of whale sightings.
In June 2021 a female gave birth off
Christies Beach, a southern suburb of Adelaide, and remained in the shallows off the beach for some time, attracting large crowds.
= Victoria and Tasmania
=
Whale numbers are scarcer in
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India
* Victoria (state), a state of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital
* Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
, where the only established breeding ground which whales use each year, in very small numbers, is at
Warrnambool
Warrnambool (; Eastern Maar, Maar: ''Peetoop'' or ''Wheringkernitch'' or ''Warrnambool'') is a city on the south-western coast of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the Census in Australia#2021, 2021 census, Warrnambool had a populati ...
. However, as the whales do seem to be increasing in number generally, but not showing any dramatic increases at Warrnambool, they may be extending their wintering habitats into other areas of Victoria, where the numbers of sightings are slowly increasing. These areas include around
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
, such as in
Port Phillip Bay
Port Phillip ( Kulin: ''Narm-Narm'') or Port Phillip Bay is a horsehead-shaped enclosed bay on the central coast of southern Victoria, Australia. The bay opens into the Bass Strait via a short, narrow channel known as The Rip, and is comple ...
, along
Waratah Bay, at
Ocean Grove, Warrnambool, on
Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located in the south of Greater Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to ...
, in
Apollo Bay
Apollo Bay is a coastal town in southwestern Victoria, Australia. It is situated on the eastern side of Cape Otway, along the edge of the Barham River and on the Great Ocean Road, in the Colac Otway Shire. The town had a population of 1,790 at ...
, and on
Gippsland
Gippsland () is a rural region in the southeastern part of Victoria, Australia, mostly comprising the coastal plains south of the Victorian Alps (the southernmost section of the Great Dividing Range). It covers an elongated area of east of th ...
coasts and at
Wilsons Promontory
Wilsons Promontory is a peninsula that forms the southernmost part of the Australian mainland, located in the state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria.
South Point (Wilsons Promontory), South Point at is the southernmost tip of Wilsons Promon ...
.
Whale numbers in
Tasmania
Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
are relatively small, however sightings have increased in recent years. Some whales migrate through Tasmanian waters while some others remain throughout wintering seasons.
= Other states and territories
=
Waters off the coasts of
Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
,
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
, and
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
coasts have all historically been inhabited by whales. Their historical range was much wider than it is today, and reached around the southern coast of the continent, extending up to
Australian Abrolhos Island,
Exmouth
Exmouth is a harbor, port town, civil parishes in England, civil parish and seaside resort situated on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe, southeast of Exeter.
In 2011 it had a population of 34,432, making Exmouth the List of settl ...
and
Shark Bay
Shark Bay () is a World Heritage Site in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. The area is located approximately north of Perth, on the westernmost point of the Australian continent.
UNESCO's listing of Shark Bay as a World Heritage S ...
on the west coast, and on the east coast as far north as
Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay () is a city on the coast of the Fraser Coast Region of Queensland, Australia. The city is situated approximately or 3½ hours' highway drive north of the state capital, Brisbane. It is located on the bay of the same name open to ...
,
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay located on the eastern coast of Australia from central Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources. The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are ...
and
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, ...
. Today, the east-coast population remains endangered and very small (in the low-tens), contributing to small numbers and limited re-colonization, but increases have been confirmed in many areas such as
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, commonly known as Sydney Harbour, is a natural harbour on the east coast of Australia, around which Sydney was built. It consists of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta ...
,
Port Stephens,
Twofold Bay
Twofold Bay is an open oceanic embayment that is located in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia.
The bay was named by George Bass, for its shape of two bights. The northern bight is called Calle Calle Bay; while the southern ...
,
Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay () is a oceanic bay and village in the Jervis Bay Territory and on the South Coast (New South Wales), South Coast of New South Wales, Australia.
A area of land around the southern headland of the bay, known as the Jervis Bay Terri ...
,
Broulee
Broulee is a town on the south coast of New South Wales between Batemans Bay and Moruya. At the , the town had a population of 1,717. Just off the beach is Broulee Island, currently joined to the mainland, but in past years the connecting spit ...
,
Moruya River
The Moruya River is an open and trained mature wave dominated barrier estuary or tidal river is located in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. In its upper freshwater reaches, the river is known as the Deua River.
Course and ...
,
Narooma
Narooma () is a town in the Australian state of New South Wales on the far south coast. The town is on the Princes Highway, which crosses the Wagonga Inlet to North Narooma. The heritage town of Tilba, New South Wales, Central Tilba is nearby t ...
, and
Byron Bay
Byron Bay ( Minjungbal: ''Cavvanbah'') is a beachside town located in the far-northeastern corner of New South Wales, Australia (in Bundjalung Country). It is located north of Sydney and south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a headland adjac ...
. 12 foraging areas have been officially announced by the Australian government.
In sub-Antarctic regions, numbers of whales visiting long-used habitats differ drastically by location. The population is recovering well at the
New Zealand Subantarctic Islands
The New Zealand Subantarctic Islands comprise the five southernmost groups of the New Zealand outlying islands. They are collectively designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Most of the islands lie near the southeast edge of the large ...
, while whale numbers are less successful at
Macquarie Island
Macquarie Island is a subantarctic island in the south-western Pacific Ocean, about halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. It has been governed as a part of Tasmania, Australia, since 1880. It became a Protected areas of Tasmania, Tasmania ...
.
It is not known whether Australian populations will re-colonise historical oceanic habitats such as
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island ( , ; ) is an States and territories of Australia, external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head, New South Wales, Evans Head and a ...
and
Lord Howe Island
Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland Port ...
with
Lord Howe Seamount Chain
The Lord Howe Seamount Chain formed during the Miocene. It features many coral-capped guyots and is one of the two parallel seamount chains alongside the east coast of Australia; the Lord Howe and Tasmantid seamount chains both run north-south ...
(historically known as the "Middle Ground" for whalers)
in the future.
New Zealand
The current population of right whales in New Zealand waters is difficult to establish. However, studies by the
Department of Conservation
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
and sightings reported by locals have helped to build up a better picture. The pre-exploitation size of the New Zealand group is estimated at between 28,800 and 47,100 whales. 35,000 – 41,000 catches were made between 1827 and 1980. The number of whales surviving commercial and illegal whaling operations is estimated to have decreased to just 110 whales (around 30 of which were females) in 1915.
As a result of such a steep decline in numbers, the population of southern right whales in this region has experienced a
population bottleneck
A population bottleneck or genetic bottleneck is a sharp reduction in the size of a population due to environmental events such as famines, earthquakes, floods, fires, disease, and droughts; or human activities such as genocide, speciocide, wid ...
and suffers from low genetic diversity.
[
The population at the sub-Antarctic ]Auckland Islands
The Auckland Islands ( Māori: ''Motu Maha'' "Many islands" or ''Maungahuka'' "Snowy mountains") are an archipelago of New Zealand, lying south of the South Island. The main Auckland Island, occupying , is surrounded by smaller Adams Island ...
is showing a remarkable recovery but continues to have some of the lowest genetic diversities in the world.[Frankham J. Skerry B]
Southern Right Whales
New Zealand National Geographic. In the Campbell Islands
The Campbell Islands (or Campbell Island Group) are a group of subantarctic islands, belonging to New Zealand. They lie about 600 km south of Stewart Island. The islands have a total area of , consisting of one big island, Campbell Is ...
, recovery is slower.[Stewart R., Todd B. (2001)]
A note on observations of southern right whales at Campbell Island, New Zealand
''Journals of Cetacean Research Management'' Special Issue 2, pp.117–120. Retrieved on 9 July 2014 Here, the population is estimated to have dropped to as low as 20 individuals post WWII. There had been no confirmed sightings or strandings of right whales for 36 years until 1963 when four separate sightings including a cow-calf pair were made over a wide area. Remnants of sub-Antarctic populations were reported in the 1980s and re-discovered in the 1990s.
Today, the majority of right whales congregate at the Auckland and Campbell Islands, where they form exceptionally dense and limited congregations including mating adults and calving females. In the waters around Port Ross
Port Ross is a natural harbour on Auckland Island in the Auckland Islands Group, a subantarctic chain that forms part of the New Zealand Outlying Islands.
Guarding the mouth of Port Ross are Rose Island, Enderby Island, Ewing Island, and ...
up to 200 whales may winter at the same time. It is notable that whales of all age groups are present in this small area annually, not only using them as feeding and summering grounds but also for wintering, breeding, and calving during harsh, cold periods. Low genetic diversity as a result of population decline has caused changes in skin coloration amongst this group.
Scientists used to believe there was a very small remnant population of southern right whales inhabiting New Zealand's main islands (North and South Island), estimated to contain 11 reproductive females. In winter, whales migrate north to New Zealand waters and large concentrations occasionally visit the southern coasts of South Island. Bay areas along Foveaux Strait
Foveaux Strait ( ; ) is a strait that separates Stewart Island from the South Island of New Zealand. The width of the strait ranges from about , and the depth varies between . The strait was first charted by an American Seal hunting, sealer, O ...
from Fiordland
Fiordland (, "The Pit of Tattooing", and also translated as "the Shadowlands"), is a non-administrative geographical region of New Zealand in the south-western corner of the South Island, comprising the western third of Southland. Most of F ...
region to northern Otago
Otago (, ; ) is a regions of New Zealand, region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island and administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local go ...
are important breeding habitats for right whales, especially Preservation
Preservation may refer to:
Heritage and conservation
* Preservation (library and archival science), activities aimed at prolonging the life of a record while making as few changes as possible
* ''Preservation'' (magazine), published by the Nat ...
, Chalky Inlets, Te Waewae Bay
Te Waewae Bay is the westernmost of three large bays lying on the Foveaux Strait coast of Southland, New Zealand, the others being Oreti Beach and Toetoes Bay. Twenty-seven kilometres in length, the western end of the bay is mountainous, with ...
, and Otago Peninsula
The Otago Peninsula () is a long, hilly indented finger of land that forms the easternmost part of Dunedin, New Zealand. Volcanic in origin, it forms one wall of the eroded valley that now forms Otago Harbour. The peninsula lies south-east of Ot ...
. Calving activities are observed all around New Zealand, but with more regularity around North Island shores from the Taranaki
Taranaki is a regions of New Zealand, region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano Mount Taranaki, Taranaki Maunga, formerly known as Mount Egmont.
The main centre is the ...
coast in the west to Hawke's Bay
Hawke's Bay () is a region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region is named for Hawke Bay, which was named in honour of Edward Hawke. The region's main centres are the cities of Napier and Hastings, while the more rural ...
, Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty () is a large bight (geography), bight along the northern coast of New Zealand's North Island. It stretches from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east. Called ''Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi'' (the Ocean ...
in the east, and areas in Hauraki Gulf
The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2,[Firth of Thames
The Firth of Thames () is a large bay located in the north of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the firth of the rivers Waihou and Piako, the former of which was formerly named the Thames River, and the town of Thames lies on its south ...](_blank)
or Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for ...
in the north.
There are various parts of the nation where large numbers of whales were seen historically, but sightings are less common nowadays. These areas include the Marlborough Region
Marlborough District or the Marlborough Region (, or ''Tauihu''), commonly known simply as Marlborough, is one of the 16 regions of New Zealand, located on the northeast of the South Island. It is administered by Marlborough District Counci ...
, especially from Clifford Bay
Clifford Bay is a bay in the northeast of the South Island of New Zealand, in the Marlborough Region. It lies between Te Koko-o-Kupe / Cloudy Bay to the northwest, and Cape Campbell to the southeast. The bay's shoreline is dominated by extensiv ...
and Cloudy Bay
Te Koko-o-Kupe / Cloudy Bay is located at the northeast of New Zealand's South Island, to the south of the Marlborough Sounds and north of Clifford Bay, New Zealand, Clifford Bay. In August 2014, the name Cloudy Bay, given by Captain Cook in 177 ...
to Port Underwood
Te Whanganui / Port Underwood is a sheltered harbour which forms the north-east extension of Te Koko-o-Kupe / Cloudy Bay at the northeast of New Zealand's South Island, on the east coast of the Marlborough Sounds.Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edi ...
, Golden Bay Golden Bay may refer to:
* Golden Bay / Mohua
Golden Bay / Mohua is a large shallow bay in New Zealand's Tasman District, near the northern tip of the South Island. An arm of the Tasman Sea, the bay lies northwest of Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aore ...
, Awaroa Bay, and coastlines on West Coast and Hokianga
The Hokianga is an area surrounding the Hokianga Harbour, also known as the Hokianga River, a long Estuary, estuarine drowned valley on the west coast in the north of the North Island of New Zealand.
The original name, still used by local Mā ...
Harbour in Northland. Other than a handful of confirmed observations, very little information is available for modern migrations to historical oceanic habitats of Kermadec Islands
The Kermadec Islands ( ; ) are a subtropical island arc in the South Pacific Ocean northeast of New Zealand's North Island, and a similar distance southwest of Tonga. The islands are part of New Zealand. They are in total area and uninhabit ...
and Chatham Islands
The Chatham Islands ( ; Moriori language, Moriori: , 'Misty Sun'; ) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island, administered as part of New Zealand, and consisting of about 10 islands within an approxima ...
. The northernmost sighting recorded historically was at 27°S.
A 2009 study revealed that the right whale populations from New Zealand's main islands and the sub-Antarctic islands interbreed, though it is still unknown whether the two stock originally came from a single population. Feeding areas in pelagic waters are unclear while congregations have been confirmed along the southern edge of the Chatham Rise
The Chatham Rise is an area of ocean floor to the east of New Zealand, forming part of the Zealandia continent. It stretches for some from near the South Island in the west, to the Chatham Islands in the east. It is New Zealand's most productiv ...
.
Some Australian ranges are located close to the ranges of New Zealand groups (Norfolk Island, Macquarie Island). It is unclear whether whales historically or currently from these Australian ranges once originated in New Zealand groups.
Other
In oceanic islands and offshore waters other than the above-mentioned areas, very little about the presence and recovery status of southern right whales is known. Right whales' historical ranges were much greater than today; during the whaling era of the 19th century whales were known to occur in lower latitude areas such as around the Pacific Islands
The Pacific islands are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are further categorized into three major island groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Depending on the context, the term ''Pacific Islands'' may refer to one of several ...
, off the Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands (;Reilly Ridgell. ''Pacific Nations and Territories: The Islands of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.'' 3rd. Ed. Honolulu: Bess Press, 1995. p. 95. formerly Kingsmill or King's-Mill IslandsVery often, this name applied o ...
(nowadays Kiribati
Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the central Pacific Ocean. Its permanent population is over 119,000 as of the 2020 census, and more than half live on Tarawa. The st ...
), and also to frequent lower latitudes of the central Indian Ocean.
It is unclear whether right whales have been historically or currently distributed among parts of hemisphere lacking great land masses and reached far more pelagic islands such as Alejandro Selkirk and Robinson Crusoe Island
Robinson Crusoe Island (, ) is the second largest of the Juan Fernández Islands, situated 670 km (362 nmi; 416 mi) west of San Antonio, Chile, San Antonio, Chile, in the South Pacific Ocean. It is the more populous of the inhabit ...
s, Hanga Roa
Hanga Roa (; ) (Rapanui language: ''Long bay'') is the main town, harbour, and seat of Easter Island, a municipality of Chile. It is located in the southern part of the island's west coast, in the lowlands between the extinct volcanoes of Terev ...
, Pitcairn
The Pitcairn Islands ( ; Pitkern: '), officially Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, are a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean that form the sole British Overseas Territory in the Pacific Ocean. The four islan ...
, Galapagos Islands, and the Easter Island
Easter Island (, ; , ) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is renowned for its nearly 1,000 extant monumental statues, ...
.
Populations among sub-Antarctic islands in the Scotia Sea
The Scotia Sea is a sea located at the northern edge of the Southern Ocean at its boundary with the South Atlantic Ocean. It is bounded on the west by the Drake Passage and on the north, east, and south by the Scotia Arc, an undersea ridge and is ...
such as South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) is a British Overseas Territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands known as the ...
and Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands (; ), commonly referred to as The Falklands, is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and from Cape Dub ...
were severely damaged and show slower recoveries today. Antarctic distributions are difficult to establish due to low levels of sightings around oceanic islands in these areas, including Elephant Island
Elephant Island is an ice-covered, mountainous island off the coast of Antarctica in the outer reaches of the South Shetland Islands, in the Southern Ocean. The island is situated north-northeast of the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, west-so ...
.
Indian Ocean
Historically, there were known to be populations which summered in the Crozet Islands
The Crozet Islands (; or, officially, ''Archipel Crozet'') are a sub-Antarctic archipelago of small islands in the southern Indian Ocean. They form one of the five administrative districts of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.
History ...
and the Kerguelen Islands
The Kerguelen Islands ( or ; in French commonly ' but officially ', ), also known as the Desolation Islands (' in French), are a group of islands in the subantarctic, sub-Antarctic region. They are among the Extremes on Earth#Remoteness, most i ...
, and migrated to La Roche Godon and Île Saint-Paul
is an island forming part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (, TAAF) in the Indian Ocean, with an area of . The island is located about south of the larger Île Amsterdam , northeast of the Kerguelen Islands, and southeast of Réuni ...
, Île Amsterdam
(), also known as Amsterdam Island or New Amsterdam (), is an island of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands in the southern Indian Ocean that together with neighbouring Île Saint-Paul to the south forms one of the five districts of the t ...
, and the Central Indian Ocean. They may be distinct from the population of whales seen on Mozambique coasts. Repopulation of whales among these areas of the Indian Ocean is likely to be happening at even lower rates than in other areas. Sightings have been fewer in modern periods among Crozet, Réunion
Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...
, Mauritius
Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
, Marion Islands, Île Amsterdam, and Kerguelen.
Killings of these whales have been recorded on central Indian Ocean near the equator, especially around the area between Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia is the largest island of the Chagos Archipelago. It has been used as a joint UK–U.S. military base since the 1970s, following the expulsion of the Chagossians by the UK government. The Chagos Islands are set to become a former B ...
, Egmont Islands
Egmont Islands (also known as Egmont Atoll, or Six Iles) is an uninhabited atoll that is one of the few emerged coral atolls that make up the Chagos Archipelago.
This small atoll lies less than 10km south of the southwestern rim of the Great Ch ...
, and the Great Chagos Bank
The Great Chagos Bank, in the Chagos Archipelago, about south of Maldives, is the largest atoll structure in the world, with a total area of .
Islands
Despite its enormous size, the Great Chagos Bank is largely a submarine structure. Ther ...
in the west, and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands (), officially the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands (; ), are an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, comprising a small archipelago approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka and rel ...
in the east. The range of whales in the Indian Ocean is comparable to the range of some other populations around South America, Africa, and the South Pacific islands including Kiribati
Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the central Pacific Ocean. Its permanent population is over 119,000 as of the 2020 census, and more than half live on Tarawa. The st ...
, the northernmost reach of all the populations known today.
Whaling
By 1750 the North Atlantic right whale was as good as extinct for commercial purposes, and the American whaling, whalers moved into the South Atlantic before the end of the 18th century. The most southerly Brazilian whaling station was established in 1796, in Imbituba. Over the next hundred years, American whaling spread into the Southern and Pacific Oceans, where the American fleet was joined by fleets from several European nations.
The southern right whale had been coming to Australian and New Zealand waters in large numbers before the 19th century, but was extensively hunted from 1800 to 1850. Hunting gradually declined with the whale population and then all but ended in coastal waters in Australasia. The beginning of the 20th century brought industrial whaling, and the catch grew rapidly. By 1937, according to whalers' records, 38,000 were harpooned in the South Atlantic, 39,000 in the South Pacific, and 1,300 in the Indian Ocean. Given the incompleteness of these records, the total take was somewhat higher.
As it became clear that the population was nearly depleted, the harpooning of right whales was banned in 1937. The ban was largely successful, although some illegal whaling continued for several decades. Madeira took its last two right whales in 1968. Illegal whaling continued off the coast of Brazil for years, and the Imbituba station processed right whales until 1973. The USSR
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
admitted to taking illegally over 3,300 during the 1950s and 1960s, although it only reported taking 4.
Illegal operations continued even in the 1970s, such as the case in Brazil until 1973. It was also revealed that Japan was supporting these destructive hunts by neglecting and disregarding its monitoring obligations. There were agreements between Japan and the Soviet Union to keep their illegal mass whaling activities in foreign/international protected waters secret.
Right whales began to be seen again in Australian and New Zealand waters from the early 1960s. It is possible that if the Soviet hunts had never happened, the New Zealand population would be three or four times larger than its current size.Department of Conservation
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
The conservation of whales in the 21st century – Whale diversity in New Zealand waters
. Retrieved on 5 November 2014
Conservation
The southern right whale, listed as "endangered" by CITES, is protected by all countries with known breeding populations (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and Uruguay). In Argentina, it is considered a "Natural Monument" under national law Nº 23094, with all whales sighted on Argentine waters under legal protection. In Brazil, a federal Environmental Protection Area (Brazil), Environmental Protection Area encompassing some and of coastline in Santa Catarina State was established in 2000 to protect the species' main breeding grounds in Brazil and promote regulated whale watching. The southern right whale is listed on Appendix I[Appendix I]
" of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). As amended by the Conference of the Parties in 1985, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2008. Effective: 5 March 2009. of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention, CMS) as this species has been categorized as being in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant proportion of their range. This species is also covered by the Memorandum of Understanding for the Conservation of Cetaceans and Their Habitats in the Pacific Islands Region (Pacific Islands Cetaceans Memorandum of Understanding, Pacific Cetaceans MoU). In 2017, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species listed the species' status as Least Concern with a population trend listed as "unknown".
In Australia, Southern right whales are listed for protection variously under state and federal legislation, as reflected in the table below:
A two-year, £740,000 project, led by the British Antarctic Survey began in 2016, to discover why almost 500 young have been washed up on the Valdes Peninsula over the last ten years. The project is funded by the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the EU. Possible reasons are a lack of krill in the whale feeding grounds at South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) is a British Overseas Territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands known as the ...
, exposure to toxic algae and attacks by kelp gulls (''Larus dominicanus'').
Gull attacks
One possibly significant contributor to the calf mortality rate has alarmed scientists – since at least 1996, kelp gulls off the coast of Patagonia have been observed attacking and feeding on live right whales. The kelp gull uses its powerful beak to peck down several centimetres into the skin and blubber, often leaving the whales with large open sores – some of which have been observed to be half a metre in diameter. This predatory behaviour, primarily targeted towards mother/calf pairs, has been continually documented in Argentinian waters, and continues today. Observers note that the whales are spending up to a third of their time and energy performing evasive manoeuvres – therefore, mothers spend less time nursing, and the calves are thinner and weaker as a result. Researchers speculate that many years ago, waste from fish processing plants allowed the gull populations to soar. Their resulting overpopulation, combined with reduced waste output, caused the gulls to seek out this alternative food source. Scientists fear that the gulls' learned behaviour could proliferate, and the IWC Scientific Committee has urged Brazil to consider taking immediate action if and when similar gull behaviour is observed in their waters. Such action may include the removal of attacking gulls, following Argentina's lead in attempting to reverse the trend.
Threats
Southern right whales are threatened by entanglement in commercial fishing gear and Environmental impact of shipping#Wildlife collisions, ship strikes. Entanglement in fishing gear can cut through a whale's skin, causing infection, amputation and death. Underwater noise from human activities such as Oil platform, drilling and dredging can interfere with whales' communication, and deter them from their usual habitats and breeding grounds.
Whale watching
Africa
The southern right whale has made Hermanus
Hermanus (; originally called ''Hermanuspietersfontein'', but shortened in 1902 as the name was too long for the postal service , South Africa, one of the world centres for whale watching. During the winter months (June to October), southern right whales come so close to the shoreline that visitors can watch them from the shore as well as from strategically placed hotels. The town employs a "whale crier" (cf. town crier) to walk through the town announcing where whales have been seen. Hermanus also has two boat–based whale watching operators. Southern right whales can also be watched at False Bay from the shore or from the boats of operators in Simon's Town. Plettenberg Bay along the Garden Route of South Africa is also known for whale watching including both land and boat based watching, not only for southern rights (July to December) but throughout the year. Southern right whales can also be seen off the coast of Port Elizabeth with marine eco tours running from the Port Elizabeth harbour, as some southern right whales make Algoa Bay their home for the winter months.
Although southern right whales have been seen in neighboring countries including Namibia, Mozambique, and Madagascar, they are not the targeted species for whale watching tours in these countries.
South America
In Brazil, Imbituba in Santa Catarina has been recognised as the National Right Whale Capital and holds annual Right Whale Week celebrations in September, when mothers and calves are more often seen. The old whaling station there is now a museum that documents the history of right whales in Brazil. In Argentina, Península Valdés in Patagonia
Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...
hosts (in winter) the largest breeding population, with more than 2,000 catalogued by the Whale Conservation Institute and Ocean Alliance. As in the south of Argentina, the whales come within of the main beach in the city of Puerto Madryn and form a part of the large ecotourism industry. Uruguay's Parliament on 4 September 2013, has become the first country in the world to make all of its territorial waters a haven for whales and dolphins. Every year, dozens of whales are sighted, especially in the departments of Maldonado and Rocha during winter. Swimming activities for commercial objectives had been banned in the area in 1985, but were legalised in San Matías Gulf, Gulf of San Matías, the only place in the world where humans are formally allowed to swim with the species. Land-based watching and occasional kayaking with whales activities are seen at other locations not renowned for whale-watching as much as Puerto Madryn and with less restrictions on approaching whales, such as at Puerto Deseado, Mar del Plata, and Miramar in Buenos Aires.
Though their numbers are dangerously small, land-based sightings of whales are on the increase in recent years off Chile and Peru, with some hope of creating new tourism industries, especially in the Strait of Magellan
The Strait of Magellan (), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and the Tierra del Fuego archipelago to the south. Considered the most important natura ...
, most notably around Cape Virgenes
Cape Virgenes () is the southeastern promontory of continental Argentina in South America. A little to the south-west,the southernmost point of land is Punta Dúngeness. Ferdinand Magellan reached it on 21 October 1520 during the Spanish expe ...
.
Oceania
In Australia's winter and spring, southern right whales can be seen migrating along the Great Australian Bight in South Australia. Viewing locations include the Bunda Cliffs and Twin Rocks, the Head of the Bight
Head of the Bight (also called Head of Bight) is a bay located in South Australia at the most northern extent of the Great Australian Bight.
Flora and fauna
Southern right whale
It is one of two locations on Australia's south coast where south ...
(where a visitor centre and cliff-top viewing boardwalks exist) and at Fowlers Bay, South Australia, Fowler's Bay where accommodation and charter boat tours are offered. Another popular South Australian locality for Southern right whale watching is Encounter Bay
Encounter Bay is a bay in the Australian state of South Australia located on the state's south central coast about south of the state capital of Adelaide. It was named by Matthew Flinders after his encounter on 8 April 1802 with Nicolas Bau ...
, where the South Australian Whale Centre supports local whale-watchers and tourists. In Warrnambool
Warrnambool (; Eastern Maar, Maar: ''Peetoop'' or ''Wheringkernitch'' or ''Warrnambool'') is a city on the south-western coast of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the Census in Australia#2021, 2021 census, Warrnambool had a populati ...
, Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India
* Victoria (state), a state of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital
* Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
, a right whale nursery is also a popular tourist attraction. The whales' migratory range is extending as the species continues to recover and re-colonize other areas of the continent, including the coastal waters of New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
and Tasmania
Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
. In Tasmania, the first birth since the 19th century was recorded in 2010 in the River Derwent.
Similarly, southern right whales may provide chances for the public to observe whales from shore on New Zealand's coasts with greater regularity than in the past, especially in southern Fiordland
Fiordland (, "The Pit of Tattooing", and also translated as "the Shadowlands"), is a non-administrative geographical region of New Zealand in the south-western corner of the South Island, comprising the western third of Southland. Most of F ...
, Southland Region, Southland through to the Otago
Otago (, ; ) is a regions of New Zealand, region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island and administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local go ...
coast, and on the North Island coast, especially in Northland Region, Northland and other locations such as the Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty () is a large bight (geography), bight along the northern coast of New Zealand's North Island. It stretches from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east. Called ''Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi'' (the Ocean ...
and the South Taranaki Bight
The South Taranaki Bight is a large bay on the west coast of New Zealand, south of Taranaki, west of the Manawatu, north and west of the western entrance of Cook Strait and north of the South Island. The name is sometimes used for a much smaller ...
. Births of calves could have always been occurring on the main islands' coasts, but were confirmed with two cow-calf pairs in 2012.
Subantarctic
In the Subantarctic Islands and in the vicinity of Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...
, where few regulations exist or are enforced, whales can be observed on expedition tours with increasing probability. The Auckland Islands
The Auckland Islands ( Māori: ''Motu Maha'' "Many islands" or ''Maungahuka'' "Snowy mountains") are an archipelago of New Zealand, lying south of the South Island. The main Auckland Island, occupying , is surrounded by smaller Adams Island ...
are a specially designated sanctuary for right whales, where whale-watching tourism is prohibited without authorisation.
Popular culture
The species was featured on a 70Penny (British decimal coin), p commemorative stamp issued by Tristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunha (), colloquially Tristan, is a remote group of volcano, volcanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is one of three constituent parts of the British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascensi ...
in 2019 as part of a set celebrating different species of whale.
See also
* List of cetaceans
* List of marine mammal species
References
Notes
Citations
External links
An online educational documentary film about southern right whales
– whale trackers
Photographic record of whales in Uruguay
{{Authority control
Right whales
Mammals described in 1822
Articles containing video clips
Cetaceans of the Atlantic Ocean
Cetaceans of the Indian Ocean
Cetaceans of the Pacific Ocean
Mammals of South Australia
Marine fauna of New Zealand
Taxa named by Antoine Desmoulins