Why are they Called Southern Right Whales?
In the days of whaling these whales were known as the “right” ones to hunt. They swam very slowly, they swam very close to shore and they floated when killed making the hunting of these whales easy in comparison to other species. How many Southern Right Whales are there? Southern Rights were once the most common whales around southern Australia. No one knows for sure how many there were before whaling began, but most estimates are around 100 000. They were hunted nearly to extinction in the 19th century and it is thought that there are now only about 7000 Southern Rights left in the entire southern hemisphere. There are positive sign’s for this species though with the populations in Australia thought to be growing at about 5-7% annually. Are Whales Protected? Yes. In Australia, all whales and dolphins are protected. It is illegal to kill or harm them in any way. It is also illegal to import whale products from overseas and to export these products out of Australia. One of the first wha
