What are right whales and pygmy right whales like?
Right whales were called the “right” whales to catch by early hunters because they are large, swim slowly, have long baleen plates, contain lots of oil, and float when killed. Right whales do not have dorsal fins or throat grooves. The taxonomy of this family is rather confusing, but currently there are three species of right whales: the Northern right whale, Southern right whale, and bowhead whale. The pygmy right is in a separate family although it shares similar characteristics to right whales.
