North Pacific right whale

The rarest of all large whales and among the rarest of all the marine mammal species on earth

North Pacific right whales are so-named because they are easy to approach and catch. Also, they are slow swimmers; their bodies float easily and are rich in blubber. So, hunters singled them out, and they were literally considered the “right” whales to kill and have been widely hunted nearly to the edge of extinction.

Hunting is no longer a threat because of the conservation laws made. Still, human activity, such as entanglement in fishing gear, ship strikes, ocean pollution, and warming oceans, has negatively impacted their population. These factors, among many others, can directly or indirectly affect their survival; today, no more than 500 individuals of this majestic animal remain alive.

Distribution

Country
Population est.
Status
Year
Comments
Pacific ocean
2017
Okhotsk Sea
2017
Gulf of Mexico
2017
Bering Sea
2017
Japan Sea
2017
Canada
2017
British Columbia
China
2017
Possibly Extant
Japan
2017
Korea
2017
Mexico
2017
Baja California Sur
North Korea
2017
Possibly Extant
Russia
2017
Taiwan
2017
United States
2017
Possibly Extant: Oregon

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Terrestrial / Aquatic

Altricial / Precocial

Polygamous / Monogamous

Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic

Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal

Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd / Group

Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore

Migratory: Yes / No

Domesticated: Yes / No

Dangerous: Yes / No