kanaloa
Right Whale
Right Whale (Etlbalaena glacialis)
For at least 700 years (1100 to 1800) the Right Whale was
successively hunted in the Bay of Biscay, along the northwestern
coast of Norway, around Iceland, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence near
Newfoundland, and along the coasts of New England.
Its abundance, slow speed, buoyancy of its carcass, and great
yield of oil and whalebone made it an attractive quarry. For
these reasons it was called the "right" whale. Actually
there are three recognizable kinds of Right Whales, of which one
(Eubalaena glacialis) inhabits the North Atlantic Ocean, another
(£. australis) the oceans in southern latitudes, and a third (E.
sieboldii) the North Pacific Ocean.
The Right Whale is related to the Bowhead, or Greenland Whale ,
and like the latter is characterized by the absence of external
throat furrows, lack of a dorsal fin, presence of long, narrow
blades of black whalebone, and enormous fleshy lower lips on the
outward-bowed lower jaws.
Adult Right Whales generally average from 45 to 50 feet long. The
short and chunky body is often entirely black, although about one
out of five individuals is white-bellied. Near the end of the
muzzle of adults and young is a horny excrescence of irregular
shape known as the "bonnet," commonly infested with
parasitic worms, whale lice, and barnacles. The row of black
whalebone suspended from each upper jaw consists of at least 250
flexible blades, of which the central ones are the longest,
averaging from six to seven feet. The female has a single young
which she suckles and keeps with her for at least a year.
Right Whales are fond of floating on the surface, and at times
are playful, springing nearly clear of the water. Usually a
series of five or six shallow submergences is succeeded by a deep
dive of 15 to 20 minutes' duration. The V-shaped spout is double,
the forcibly ejected breath from each blowhole being directed
forward and upward some 15 feet.
Pygmy Right Whale
(Neobalaena marginata.)
Pygmy Right Whales are either few in number or their habits are
such that they are rarely seen by whalers . Stranded specimens
have been found on the eastern coasts of the Great Australian
Bight, most frequently in the spring at the time of heavy gales,
and in various New Zealand waters.
Probably less is known about their habits than of any other
cetacean. Measurements of skeletons indicate that they attain a
length of 20 feet. The throat is smooth. The blades of whalebone
are ivory white or yellowish white, with a blackish outer margin.
One of the most remarkable features of the Pygmy Right Whale's
body is the presence of 17 pairs of peculiarly widened ribs, a
greater number than is found in any other cetacean. Some
zoologists believe that these ribs provide additional protection
to the internal organs and may be related to deep diving habits.
