Southern Right Whale

The southern right whale is a large baleen whale of the Southern Hemisphere, with a broad back, no dorsal fin and pale callosities on its head. It filters small marine animals through long baleen plates and often visits sheltered coastal waters during breeding. Mothers nurse calves close to shore in some breeding areas before returning to wider-ranging movements. Head callosities form patterns that help researchers identify individual whales. A strongly arched mouth is another recognizable feature of the species.