The Southern Right Whale, pictured above, spends summer in colder water near Antarctica. In winter it breeds in warmer waters along the southern coast of Australia.

It is a broad bodied whale whose large head is covered in bumps called callosities. The mouthline forms a strong arch. The broad back has no dorsal fin and the flippers are large and paddle shaped. The body is black or dark brown often with white patches on the belly. Southern Right Whales have dense, fine baleen. They eat krill and other small creatures.

These whales are slowly recovering from over hunting. A female has a calf only every 3-4 years. The birth weight is around 1 ton.