A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Eubalaena australis
A baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales belonging to the genus Eubalaena. 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, 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 maximum size of an adult female is 15 m (49 ft)[5] and can weigh up to 47 tonnes (46 long tons; 52 short tons).
Right whales cannot cross the warm equatorial waters to connect with the other (sub)species and (inter)breed: their thick layers of insulating blubber make it impossible for them to dissipate their internal body heat in tropical waters.
Spotted on Sep 13, 2010
Submitted on Apr 12, 2012
2 Comments
Hi Alicelongmartin, these set was taken from a boat but I have shot some that were quite close to shore as well i.e. approx 300 meters from the shoreline. These were at King George Sound, Albany, Western Australia. I understand these gentle giants come here during the spring/summer to breed hence it is quite easy to spot them during this period.
Did you see this from shore or from a boat?