Introduction

North Atlantic right whales, Eubalaena glacialis, are considered the rarest of the baleen whale species. Distinct populations of right whales were scattered across the oceans of the world until they were decimated by heavy and consistent whaling.

These are large whales, up to 17m. (56 feet) and may weigh up to 100 metric tons. Much of their body length is taken up by their massive head and long, curved mouth line that supports a massive rack of baleen. Each baleen plate is up to 3m (8 feet) long and very narrow. The fringe along the inside edge of the baleen is very fine, allowing right whales to filter very small but plentiful food items, especially copepods.

Large broad flukes help push the rotund body through dense patches of zooplankton, even with the extra drag the open mouth. Paddle-like flippers increase maneuverability for feeding and social behaviors. Not built for speed, right whales have no dorsal fin on the back. Over most of the body, the skin is smooth and black. Rough, light-colored areas can be found on the top of the head, around the blowholes, chin, jawline and above the eyes. Collectively known as callosities, these patches create the perfect home for cyamids or whale lice. Dense colonies of these invertebrates color these patches tan or white. Because the callosities do not change over the lifetime of the individual, the pattern can be used to identify individuals.

Seasonal movements are still poorly understood but, generally, they move between rich summer feeding grounds and warm winter calving grounds. During summer and fall most of the population feeds on different banks in Southeast Canada such as the Bay of Fundy. "Courtship groups" are also seen at this time. During November and December right whales almost disappear with a few scattered reports coming from far flung areas such as Jeffreys Ledge off Northern Massachusetts and offshore of Cape May, New Jersey. By late winter and early spring, two distinct aggregations appear: calving females off southern Georgia/northern Florida and non-calving animals feeding (Mayo, 1998) off the Massachusetts coast (Cape Cod Bay, Great South Channel and Nantucket Sound).

Until about half a century ago, the North Atlantic population was believed to be extinct. Since the discovery of a relic population, research and conservation efforts have worked to learn more about right whales and their habitat requirements with an eye to recovery. The right whale population in the North Atlantic currently includes between 300 and 350 individuals. Although protected from hunting, the right whale population still carries heavy losses from entanglements and ship strikes. How the population might be affected by habitat degradation is still being studied through long term research efforts here, at PCCS, by collaborating research labs and government agencies along the eastern seaboard.