Right Whales:
A Species at the Crossroads
By Christine Sudell
W
hat’s in a name? For right whales, a large
part of their story! Nineteenth century
commercial whalers dubbed them
the “right whale” to hunt. Their slow
swimming speed—only about six miles per hour— made
these whales easy to kill. Whalers hunted them almost to
extinction, selling their blubber for oil used in heating and
lighting. Today, North American right whales are among
the most endangered marine mammals and hover at the
crossroads of extinction and survival.
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These magnificent creatures (which can reach an
impressive 60 feet in length and 200,000 pounds in weight)
generally live from New England north. However, during
the winter, pregnant females migrate to southeastern waters,
including South Carolina’s, to give birth. Earlier this year, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
designated the calving grounds from southern North
Carolina to northern Florida a “critical habitat” for right
whales.