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northern right whale

Atlantic sea mammal
Also known as: Balaena glacialis, Balaena sieboldii, Eubalaena glacialis(Show More)

Quick Summary

The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is a stout-bodied whale found in temperate and subpolar waters of the Atlantic Ocean. These whales are characterized by an enormous head, which can be one-quarter to one-third of their total body length, and baleen plates used for filter-feeding on small crustaceans and mollusks.12

Historically, right whales were hunted extensively for their oil and baleen, leading to a drastic decline in their populations. The North Atlantic right whale is now critically endangered, with only a few hundred individuals remaining worldwide. They face ongoing threats from ship collisions, pollution, and entanglement in fishing gear, which hinder their reproductive success and recovery.213

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