Southern Right Whale

Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis)

Southern right whales are visitors to our South African shores between June and November. They seek the warmer waters to mate and give birth. They occur in pairs and small groups and are often seen with their heads under water as they beat the water with their tails.

They are not considered to be deep divers because they feed on crustaceans which are found in relatively shallow water. This more than likely led to the death of Misty.

Southern right whales are considered by whalers to be the “right’ whales to hunt – they came close to shore, they swam slowly, they were easily approached, floated when dead and produced large quantities of oil and whalebone. By 1935 the whale population was severely depleted and southern right whales became formally protected. Numbers have slowly increased since then at the rate of 7% per year to several thousand.

Every year, whale watchers thrill at the sight of whales as they move up our coastline before they return to the colder waters of the Antarctic for summer.