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MRC received many calls this season of humpback whale reports. We thought it would be helpful to you to include a page to help you identify right whales and know the difference between right whales and humpback whales. Please keep this information handy for future seasons and remember it is also illegal to approach a humpback whale within 500 yards. Note that humpback whales have a small dorsal fin (hump) on their back, white markings on their tails, long white flippers, and can be very acrobatic. Right whales have NO dorsal fin, black tails, stubby black flippers, and are usually inactive during the winter in Florida. The information provided here was taken from Guide to Marine Mammals & Turtles of the U.S. Atlantic & Gulf of Mexico by Kate Wynne & Malia Schwartz. North Atlantic Right Whale 
SIZE: Adults to 13-18 m (43-59 ft), 60 tons; females larger
than males. At birth approx. 4.5m (15 ft).Body: Robust body with broad smooth back, large head (one-third body length); narrow arching rostrum. Wart-like callosities on rostrum, lower lip, and around eyes. Flippers broad and spatulate; large black flukes have smooth concave margin. No throat grooves. Color: Predominantly black, often mottled, variable amount of white on belly. Baleen: Gray with fine bristles: 200-270 plates per side, to 2.2m (7.2 ft) long. Dorsal Fin: No dorsal fin. Blow: V-shaped, bushy to 5m (16 ft) high. Behavior: Docile; breaching, flipper slapping common. Groups of 2-3, but larger on feeding grounds. Dive Pattern: Blow 5-10 times at 15-30 sec intervals then dive for 5-15 min Usually show flukes before deep dives. Humpback Whale 
Size: Adults to 11-16m (36-52 ft), 40 tons; females slightly
larger than males. At birth approx. 5m (16 ft), 2 tons.Body: Stout body with flat, broad head. Series of fleshy knobs on rostrum and lower lip. Flippers long (one-third body length) and tail flukes broad with irregular trailing edge. Ventral throat grooves, 12-36, extend to navel. Color: Black with white on throat and belly. Variable amount of white on underside of flukes and both sides of flippers. Baleen: Black with dark gray bristles; 270-400 plates per side, to 0.7m (2 ft) long. Dorsal Fin: Small with a broad base, raised hump in front, and "knuckles" behind. Shape varies. Seen at same time as blow. Blow: Broad and bushy, to 3m (10 ft) high. Behavior: Groups of 2-12, may form larger aggregations. Acrobatic: often breach, flipper slap, spyhop, and lobtail. Associate with minke and fin whales and Atlantic white-sided dolphin. Table of content |
| © 2003 Marine Resources Council of East Florida |