- Photo copyright: Peter Chadwick
Season June to November
The Southern Right whale [Balaena glacialis] is the whale most commonly seen along the coast of South Africa between June and November. It was namely by early whalers, who considered it the ‘right’ whale to hunt as it was a slow swimmer and found close inshore. This made it accessible from small, open boats, rowed out from land based whaling stations and also because it floated when dead and yielded large quantities of oil and baleen.
The Southern Right whale is distinguishable from other whale species seen in our waters by the absence of a dorsal fin, and the double or V-shaped ‘blow’ which is the spout from the blowhole as the whale surfaces. In addition, the head is covered with paler, wart-like patches, called callosities. The function of these callosities is not known, but their pattern on each whale is unique, enabling researchers to identify individual whales during annual surveys. The callosities are inhabited by barnacles and ‘whale lice’ – small crustaceans known as amphipods that are specially adapted for life on a whale, feeding on the dead outer layers of its skin.
Contact Information:
Bredasdorp Visitor Centre: +27(0)28 4242584