The Whale's Tale

• Southern Right Whales mate when they pass by Hermanus and Manaus. They travel from Antarctica every year around July to November to do this. Kelp beds are safe to calf because it protects them from any dangers.
  
• Baleen Whales are called "Right Whales" because they were the 'right' whale to hunt. They were slow moving and had a swim bladder, which made them float once they were killed. This allowed an easy way to catch the animal.
• In order to feed, the whale will open its mouth and swim forward. This requires a lot of energy because they are moving against a very strong pressure of water.
  
• Their baleen are 6-10 feet long.
• Right Whales were hunted for their blubber, which was used for oil, and their baleen, which was used before plastic.
  
• The Southern Right Whales are better off than the Northern Right Whales, which only have around 400 remaining.
  
• They eat tiny plankton (krill and copepods). 
• Typically after a mother gives birth, she will breech, followed by the baby breaching.
  
• Ever since the Southern Right Whale started protection, the population has increased rapidly.
  
• There are Southern Right Whales along the coast of Argentina and Brazil, however, their skulls are a bt different. They do not intermingle with the whales along the coast of South Africa; they are two separate populations.
• The Northern Right Whale has not recovered because of food limitation. Once their numbers became limited, other animals started to eat their food source. Now that the whales are protected, they are having a hard time reclaiming their food.
  
• Baleen whales have two blow holes, whereas toothed-whales have only one. The Right Whale blows in a very distinct V-shape that can be seen miles away.
• They live in a large herd while feeding, but they are otherwise independent, much like cows.
  
• They do not have a dorsal fin.
  
• When mating, they will form surface groups of two males and one female. Both males will reproduce with the female, and the sperm must fight each other in order to fertilize the female. While one male is mating with the female, the other will hold the female up.