Endangered species. Can sometimes be confused with humpback whales.

Maximum length of 15 metres.

Extremely stout body forms – their girth is as much as 60% of their length.

Mostly black with irregular white patches on the sides of their belly.

No dorsal fin.

Distinct V-shaped blow, upwards of 5 metres in height.

Broad and symmetrical tail fluke with a distinct notch.

Shows tail fluke upon diving.

Head is often covered in white callosities – small, irregular knobs of calloused skin.

Callosities are usually covered in whale lice.

Usually inconspicuous, although fluking, pectoral fin slapping and even breaching have been known to occur.

Typically solitary or in small groups.

North Atlantic Right Whales are filter feeders that eat primarily calanoid copepods and occasionally euphausiids and barnacle larvae. They feed on a variety of copepod species during winter, and on the oil-rich developmental stages of Calanus finmarchicus during spring, summer and fall.

When skim feeding, they swim along the surface using the strongly arched, narrow rostrum and bowed lower jaws which are especially suited to this method of feeding.

Found in the Atlantic Ocean, mostly along the eastern coast of North America and historically, parts of Western Europe.

Critically endangered with a population estimated at around 340 individuals, heavily threatened by ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements.

At a distance, North Atlantic right whales could be confused with humpbacks or grey whales. North Atlantic right whales have a broad, smooth back, whereas humpback whales have a stubby dorsal fin and grey whales have a series of "knuckles" running down their back.

In Canada, Right Whales are protected under the Marine Mammal Regulations of the Fisheries Act. North Atlantic Right Whales were designated as Endangered in 2005 under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) after being assessed by COSEWIC in 2003. In November 2013, COSEWIC re-assessed the status of this species as Endangered.

The Right Whale was considered a single species and designated Endangered in 1980. Split into two species in May 2003 to allow a separate designation of the North Atlantic Right Whale and North Pacific Right Whale.