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Large mammals
Southern right whale
Southern right whale · Eubalaena australis
Southern right whales move slowly through southern bays, show their V-shaped tail flukes and can be recognised by the white calluses on their heads.
Fact file
- Size
- Up to 17 metres long and 80 tonnes in weight
- Males and females
- No obvious sex differences in the field, but females are often larger
- Sounds
- Deep, groaning calls and knocking sounds for communication
- Diet
- Feeds on zooplankton and small crustaceans by filtering them with baleen
- Offspring
- Birth of a single calf after a gestation period of about twelve months
How to identify Southern right whale
The Southern right whale is a massive baleen whale with a barrel-shaped body and a noticeably broad, arched snout. Its back is jet black to dark grey, the belly appears lighter and is sometimes speckled. Characteristic are the whitish callus patches on the head, the so-called callosity fields, where barnacles and parasites attach themselves and which give each animal an individual pattern.
The Southern right whale has no dorsal fin and shows its broadly V-shaped tail fluke each time it surfaces. It can reach a length of up to 17 metres and a weight of 50 to 80 tonnes. The flippers are short and paddle-like. The large eyes sit just above the corners of the mouth.
More in the app
With Wildful Stories+ you also get in the app:
- general viewing tips
- 14 places where you can see Southern right whale
Where Southern right whale live
South Africa
Discover Southern right whale on your trip.
The app shows you where and when to see wildlife along your route.
