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| Photo courtesy of NOAA |
There are only about 300 northern right whales left in the world! The right whale was hunted to near-extinction. In the last century, when whale products like baleen and blubber were in demand, right whales were a favorite. Hunters named them the right whale; simply because it was the "right" whale to hunt. Right whales move slowly and travel close to shore. When they die, their high blubber content makes them float. An international accord stopped the hunting of right whales in 1935. Scientists believe the right whale population slowly recovered after that, and has been after being placed on the Endangered Species List in 1973. These days, ship strikes are a major problem for the whales. Many right whales die from ship strikes, which account for 30% to 50% of right whale deaths. Considering their endangered population, this percentage is staggering.
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