| Georgia Explorer Discover Our Coast |
The northern right whale is one of Georgia’s most amazing animals! Every winter, these large mammals migrate from their breeding grounds in Nova Scotia to the waters off the coasts of Georgia and Florida to give birth to their calves.
Weighing in at up to 60,000 lbs. and reaching lengths of about 50 feet, they seem almost invulnerable as they move through the water. Despite their formidable appearance, these whales are critically endangered. Whalers called them the “right” whale because they were slow and easy to catch. In 1935, they had been so widely hunted that there were less than 100 northern right whales in existence. Research, non-profit organizations and protective legislation have helped this magnificent animal recover its numbers, with about 300 known individuals in the current population. People are now doing the “right thing” for the northern right whale.
Don’t miss the movie that tells the story of the northern right whale in Georgia Explorer theater!
- It feeds by moving through the water with its mouth wide open, filtering prey through its baleen plates.
- This species is critically endangered. It is estimated that there are only about 300 individuals alive.
- It spends summer months in the Cape Cod area and calving grounds are located off coasts of Georgia and Florida in the winter months. The whereabouts of much of the population during the autumn are unknown.
- Females are somewhat longer than males.
- The northern right whale produces a distinctive V-shaped spout of spray when it exhales.
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