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Being the rarest whale in the ocean, North Atlantic Right Whales are hard to study. So when they are found they are identified and given names. The easiest way to tell individuals apart is by their talk flukes and callosities. Every individual has markings on their flukes that are unique and only theirs. Like wise, no two whales have the same callosity patterns. Callosities are places where the whales skin is extra thick. They provide homes for whale lice. Whale lice are white, crab like creatures that are usually less then an inch in size.
Right whales were hunted almost to extinction in the 1800's.But where saved when the industry faulted in 1859 at the discovery of petroleum. For whalers this whale was the right whale to hunt, therefore becoming the "Right Whale". Right whales are considered to be very moderate in size, not the largest and most certainly not the smallest of the whales. They can weigh up to 70 tons and can be anywhere from 45-55 feet long. Females tend to be bigger although studies have shown that size varies quite a bit. Right whales have a `bow-head' with a prominent arch. They are baleen whales that have no dorsal fin.
Sea Otters | Humpback Stranding | Bird Quiz | Right Whales | Shade Grown Coffee | Arctic | Basilosaurus | Antarctic Zebra(fiction)
Background Artist: Alan Tupper
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