Home › Mammalia › Balaenidae › Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis)
SPECIES PROFILE
Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis)
Eubalaena
IUCN STATUS
Least Concern
CONSERVATION STATUS
Least Concern
CLASS
Mammalia
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Southern Hemisphere oceans
DIET
Carnivorous (filter feeder)
HABITAT
Coastal bays and open ocean
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Mammalia
ORDER
Artiodactyla
FAMILY
Balaenidae
GENUS
Eubalaena
📋 Description
SIZE
Up to 15 m; 40-80 tonnes
COLORATION
Dark grey-black with pale callosities on the head
ADAPTATIONS
Thick blubber and no dorsal fin; identified by unique callosity patterns
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Coastal bays and open ocean
DIET
Carnivorous (filter feeder)
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Southern Hemisphere oceans
REPRODUCTION
One calf every 3 years
DIET DETAILS
Krill and copepods filtered through baleen
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Ship strikes, entanglement, climate change
💡 Interesting Facts
1
Península Valdés is a UNESCO site and one of the best places on Earth to watch right whales calving.
2
They were named 'right' whales because whalers considered them the 'right' ones to hunt.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Península Valdés
Puerto Pirámides
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
June-December
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Take boat trips from Puerto Pirámides in spring; mothers and calves come close to shore in the gulfs.
