Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammal
- Order
- Artiodactyla
- Family
- Balaenidae
- Genus
- Eubalaena
Habitat
These whales inhabit the coastal waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, migrating from feeding grounds in the cooler northern areas like the Bay of Fundy in summer to calving grounds off the southeastern U.S. in winter. They prefer shallow continental shelf waters with abundant zooplankton, avoiding deep oceanic environments.
Diet
They primarily feed on copepods and other small zooplankton, using their baleen plates to filter food from the water as they swim slowly with their mouths open. Feeding occurs mainly in summer months in productive northern waters, and they may go without food during migration and winter.
Behavior
North Atlantic right whales are highly migratory, traveling long distances seasonally between feeding and breeding grounds. They are often solitary or in small groups, exhibiting behaviors like breaching, lobtailing, and skim-feeding at the surface. They are not particularly territorial and are known for their slow swimming speed, making them vulnerable to ship strikes.
Conservation Status
The IUCN status is Endangered, with a slowly increasing population trend due to conservation efforts, but major threats include ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, and habitat degradation from climate change.