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| Southern Right Whale - Eubalaena australis | |
 Southern Right Whales spend summer months feeding in sub-Antarctic waters. In winter many of the whales, especially pregnant females, migrate north to the south coast of Australia from Perth to Sydney, including Tasmania. The range may be extending and Right Whales have been seen off Shark Bay (in WA) and north of Sydney to Cape Byron on the east coast. Adult females remain close inshore (generally no more than 1 km from the coast) to give birth and suckle their calves. Males, juveniles and young adults remain further out to sea. Some locations are preferred for winter calving; these include Doubtful Island Bay and east of Israelite Bay in WA, the Head of the Bight (SA). Other locations include off South Australian gulfs, and around Victor Harbor and Warrnambool (Logan's Beach) in Victoria. When feeding in southern waters, right whales prefer small plankton (such as pelagic larvae) and copepods; they feed at the surface. This species is presumed not to compete with the humpback whale which feeds on krill. Right Whales are skim feeders which swim through clouds of plankton lying at or near the ocean surface with their mouths open. Food items are trapped in the baleen plates in the mouth and the whale's tongue flicks trapped prey from the baleen to the back of the mouth where it is swallowed. The name "right" was applied because this was considered the right whale to hunt. It had the valuable properties that the body floated after it had been harpooned, yielded many barrels of oil and long baleen plates, came close to shore and move slowly so that whaleboats could catch up to them. Whale oil was used for candles, light fuel, soap, heating and lubrication. The baleen, often referred to as "whalebone" was also collected from the mouth of the whale. Baleen is strong and flexible and was used in corsetry, bookbinding, whip and umbrella making. Sound production is limited to belches, moans and pulses. The blow is often audible in air. A range of surface activity may be observed including fluking, tail and flipper slaps, rolling belly-up for long periods and breaching. Adults grow to 17.5 metres long, females are larger; maximum weight is 80,000 kilograms. They are thought to live for more than fifty years. Inactive adults blow on an average once per minute with wide variation. Travelling or active adults blow irregularly with intervals up to five minutes and often blow several times before diving. Adults can remain submerged for more than ten minutes. The right whale produces a distinctive 'V' shaped blow cloud. Swims slowly near the shore but capable of 15 plus km per hour over short distances. Migration speed unknown but coastwise movement indicates a cow and calf pair can travel at 2.7 to 4.2 km per hour over 24 hours. Gestation period is 11 to 12 months. Calves born in Australian waters are 5.5 metres long at birth, weighing 1000 to 1500 kilograms. Calves are born tail-first and are almost helpless; they have to be assisted to the surface to breathe. Feeding on very rich milk they grow rapidly in the first 3 to 4 months gaining an average of 50 to 60 kilograms a day and typically weigh between 6000 and 8000 kilograms, and are 7 to 8 metres long, when they leave the calving grounds to go to sub-Antarctic waters with their mothers. Females suckle their calves for about twelve months before weaning to solid food. Female Southern Right Whales are believed to fast for about four months while near the coast for calving and mating. |
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The normal
reproductive rate is recorded as one calf every three years. Sexual maturity is reached at 8 to 10 years of age. Migration studies suggest that Southern Right Whales return repeatedly to the same mating/calving grounds.
Numbers of Southern Right Whales in Australian waters were severely reduced to small remnants in the 19th century by shore and pelagic whaling. Low-level catches at least until the 1930s and, despite international protection, into the 1960s probably prevented significant population recovery until recently. Annual population increases of 7% to 10% may be occurring but population counts are confused by coastwise movement and possibly by repeat counting of animals remaining close inshore for long periods. Numbers at the Head of the Bight, South Australia, seem steady from year to year with up to 100 calves born each year. The population using the Australian coast is estimated to be 600 to 800; but allowance needs to be made for that proportion of the whale population (males, non-calving females and juveniles) which does not visit Australian waters every year. Total population of Southern Right Whales is estimated to be 4000. |
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| Top Left. Showing the short and wide flipper above the surface Top right. This whale has rolled upside down and remains that way until she has to breath. This action is thought to be to avoid the attention of calves wanting milk or males wanting to mate. Bottom. Distinctive "V" shape of a Southern Right Whale blow. | |
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Information. ¶ "The action plan for Australian Cetaceans - Southern Right Whale" prepared by the Department of the Environment, at http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/publications/cetaceans-action-plan/ ¶ SA Whale Centre at http://www.sawhalecentre.com/ ¶ SA Dept of Environment and Heritage at http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/coasts/whales/ ¶ Nullarbor Net at http://www.nullarbornet.com.au/themes/whales.html |
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| 22 April 2007 |
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