Southern right whale
Eubalaena australis
In winter, southern right whales bring their calves to calm coastal bays. Seeing a mother and calf resting is something to treasure.
Least Concern (IUCN, 2017) means it is not at high risk of extinction worldwide today. The Chile and Peru population is Critically Endangered.
Photos show the species, not always the places on this page.
Length
Up to about 18 m (59 ft)
Weight
About 80 to 90 tonnes (176,000 to 198,000 lb)
Next to a person
About 10 adults lying head to toe
What it eats
Tiny crustaceans such as copepods and krill.
Around people
Calm, give space
How it lives
The southern right whale skims slowly through swarms of plankton with its mouth open, filtering food through its baleen. Females usually have a single calf every 3 to 5 years, and the calf stays with its mother for about a year. Mothers and calves often rest close to shore.
Where it goes
In winter, southern right whales move to sheltered temperate coasts of southern Africa, South America and Australia to breed and give birth. In Argentina, Península Valdés and Golfo Nuevo are a major breeding and nursing area in winter and spring.
Populations
Southern right whales breed in separate regional calving grounds. Whales of the South Atlantic (Argentina, South Africa) and of the Indo-Pacific (Australia, New Zealand) are clearly different in their maternal genetics. In Argentina, Península Valdés and Golfo Nuevo are a major winter-spring breeding and nursing area.
Meet it respectfully
Mothers and calves often rest close to shore. Approaching a resting pair can stress them and waste energy they need. We watch from shore or from licensed boats, and never chase, surround, touch or separate a mother and calf. Rules differ by place. Australian rules ask boats to stay 300 m from calves and at least 100 m from other whales, and swimmers 100 m away. In Brazil, boats stay 100 m away and no one may swim within 50 m. In South Africa, boats without a whale watching permit must stay 300 m away.
Fun fact
Tap the bulb to light it up.
A mother usually has one calf every 3 to 5 years.
Whales from the South Atlantic and from Australia and New Zealand are clearly different in their mothers' genetic line.
In winter they come to calm coastal bays to give birth and nurse their calves.
Southern right whales sometimes go 'sailing'. They lift their tail flukes above the surface and hold them there, letting the wind push them gently through the water.
Source: NOAA Fisheries, Southern right whale species profile
Each southern right whale has its own pattern of callosities, the pale, rough patches on its head. Researchers use them like fingerprints to recognise individual whales.
Source: Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Southern right whale species guide
Follow its journey
Choose a journey and watch it travel. Every line comes from satellite tracking or documented research, and the source is named.
StartEndJourney (the line joins documented areas; real paths vary)
Southern right whale in the Ocean Atlas
Places we have researched where this animal is recorded. It is never guaranteed, and some places are for watching from the boat only.
Travel with usComing soonTrusted referralExploringOn pause, story onlyEthics pass
Country colour: pink where we travel, blue where we are exploring or refer, grey for story only.
Argentina
Australia
Brazil
Falkland Islands
Namibia
New Zealand
South AfricaSources for this page
- Australian Museum, 2024
- International Whaling Commission, 2026
- IUCN SSC Cetacean Specialist Group, 2025
- Queensland Government, 2026
- Patenaude et al.
Facts checked 24 September 2026. Photos: Unsplash licence, or Creative Commons as shown on each photo.
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