North Pacific Right Whale

HOW TO SPOT

Many North Pacific right whales sighted in the last decade have been seen within groups of humpbacks. Right whales have a very bulky black body and the callosities (raised rough patches of skin) are a key identification characteristic. They are also very slow moving and when they come to the surface to breathe, their blow can be recognized as a heart shape, or V shaped. Their triangular shaped tail fluke is also a key identification characteristic.

WHEN AND WHERE TO SEE

It is unknown where North Pacific right whales migrate to for the winter months and calving season. However, in recent decades most sightings have been in April-October.

In 2013, a North Pacific right whale was seen off the coast of Washington in the Strait of Juan de Fuca at Swiftsure Bank. On The Whale Trail, in Washington the best places to look for right whales are Neah Bay, Shipwreck Point, Shi Shi Beach, Sekiu Overlook, Salt Creek Recreation Area, and Freshwater Bay County Park are the best locations to look. In Oregon, any of the locations along the coast are good spots for looking for right whales.

RANGE

There are three separate species of right whales found in the world. The Southern right whale is in the Southern Hemisphere, the North Atlantic right whale, and the North Pacific right whale. The North Pacific right whale’s range is the Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, and eastern Aleutian Islands. In the Pacific Northwest, the eastern population of the North Pacific right whale can be seen from the Bering Sea to the Baja Peninsula. Migratory routes for North Pacific right whales is unknown. In 1996, an individual right whale was seen in both the Bering Sea and Hawaii, however, this is the only evidence so far regarding winter migration. Bristol Bay and Albatross Bank in Alaska are the only places where right whales have been consistently observed since 1996. North Pacific right whales can be seen in coastal waters, along a continental shelf, although have also been documented traveling over deep waters. It is thought their movement patterns are due to the distribution of their primary prey species.

BIOLOGY

North Pacific right whales are baleen whales, however, their feeding technique is different from other baleen whales. Right whales are skimmers, meaning they move their open mouth through a patch of zooplankton, engulfing prey filled water. The prey get stuck in the whale’s mouth, being trapped by the baleen, while the water is filtered out. The diet for right whales is mainly copepods, euphausiids, and cyprids. It is thought that right whales consume around 3-4% of their body weight per day.

BIRTH FACTS

Females reach sexual maturity between 9-10 years old, with gestation lasting around 10-12 months. Calves are 13-15 feet (4-4.5m) at birth and weigh about half a ton. Right whale calves consume around 50 gallons (190 liters) of mother’s milk per day and are considered weaned after their first year. Females will give birth in three year intervals.

NOAA SPOTLIGHT

STATUS

North Pacific right whales have been protected since 1935, considered endangered since 1970, however, not all countries have agreed on these protections. Between 1839 and 1909, an estimated 26,500-37,000 North Pacific right whales were killed by the whaling industry. The eastern population, which can be seen in the Pacific Northwest, is estimated to have 31 surviving individuals. The population is not rebounding since whaling times and right whales were killed up until 1951. North Pacific right whales are highly endangered.

CURRENT AND HISTORICAL THREATS

The main two threats facing North Pacific right whales are the lack of information and low population size. In a recent study, it is thought there are only 11 North Pacific right whales able to reproduce. Scientists don’t know where their wintering migrations are, reproductive rate, life expectancy, population distribution, growth rates, which make it very hard to come up with a recovery plan. Due to their rare occurrence and random sightings, it is impossible to know all the threats to this endangered whales. However, it is thought ship strike, entanglement, vessel traffic, and anthropocentric activities are all factors threatening right whales.

RESOURCES