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Animal profile

North Atlantic Right Whale

Eubalaena glacialis

MammaliaCoastal and continental shelf waters, including the Gulf of St Lawrence and the Gulf of MaineCritically Endangered

Field profile

The North Atlantic right whale is a stocky black baleen whale of about 15 metres with no dorsal fin and roughened patches of skin on the head. It skims copepods through very fine baleen near the surface. Roughly 370 individuals remain, and entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes are the leading causes of death.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2024-06-20

North Atlantic Right Whale

Right whales are identified by patches of lice

Each right whale carries a unique arrangement of rough skin patches on its head. The patches look white because they are colonised by pale crustaceans, and the resulting pattern lets researchers recognise individual whales for their entire lives.

Read with evidence →

North Atlantic Right Whale | Daily Animal Facts