Identification.
The North Atlantic Right Whale is strikingly different from the other large whales. The first clue to its presence is usually the distinctive blow which is V-shaped when viewed from the front or rear of the whale. The body is large and bulky and there is no dorsal fin, only a broad, flat and very dark back which often remains quite low in the water. The huge head has light-coloured lumps (callosites), particularly around the rostrum and blow-holes, above the eyes, and along the lower jaw. Callosites are hardened patches of skin which become pale due to the infestations of whale lice. The tail flukes, which are often raised on sounding, are very large and all black, with smooth edges, pointed tips and a deep central notch. 

Similar Species.
The V-shaped blow, large, flat back lacking a dorsal fin and characteristic callosites on the top of the head are diagnostic. Confusion is possible with other large whales which have deceptively variable blows and may sometimes surface so that their dorsal fin remains below the water.

Behaviour.
North Atlantic Right Whales are slow swimmers and are inquisitive and approachable. They can exhibit a range of behaviours such as lob-tailing, flipper-waving and breaching, sometimes up to ten times in a row, landing with a resounding splash that can be heard up to a distance of 1Km.

Status and Distribution.
In the North Atlantic, these whales spend the summer feeding in temperate and boreal waters as far north as Newfoundland, Iceland and Norway. During this time they subsist almost entirely on tiny copepods. In winter, the whales return to breed in temperate to sub-tropical waters as far south as Florida and sub-Saharan Africa. The species was once abundant but sadly it is now seriously threatened with a population estimated to be around 350 individuals.

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