Right whales are baleen whales belonging to the family Balaenidae. There are four species in two genera: Eubalaena (three species) and Balaena (one species, the Bowhead Whale, also called the Greenland Right Whale). Right whales can grow to 18 m (60 ft) long and weigh up to 100 metric tons. Their rotund bodies are mostly black, with distinctive white callosities (skin abrasions) on their heads. They are called "right whales" because whalers thought the whales were the "right" ones to catch, as they float when killed and often swim within sight of the shore. Populations were vastly reduced by intensive harvesting during the active years of the whaling industry. Nowadays, instead of hunting them, people often watch this acrobatic family for pleasure. The three right whale species live in geographically distinct locations. Around 300 Atlantic Northern Right Whales live in the North Atlantic, while the North Pacific has approximately 200 Pacific Northern Right Whales. Finally, about 7,500 Southern Right Whales are spread throughout the southern part of the Southern Hemisphere. (More...)
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