Order: Cetacea.

Family: Balaenidae.

Size: Length- 50 to 60 ft (15.25-18 m).

Weight: 40 to 80 tonnes.

Key Features: Body is round tapering to a narrow tail; girth of the body may be as high as 60 percent of the body length; head massive and constitutes one-fourth or more of body length; no throat grooves, fin or ridge on the back; flippers large and broad; tail flukes have a concave rear edge and deep notch between them; long snout covered by bowed lower lips on either side; numerous hairs on the chin and upper jaw; series of white horny growths called callosities is found on the snout, chin, sides of the head, the lower lips, above the eyes and on the sides of the two blowholes (known as bonnet). Occasionally barnacles attach themselves to the bonnet. Colour black or brown with a patch on the underside has given the animal the nickname ‘white belly’; baleen plates (2.8 m long) numbered 220 to 260 on each side of upper jaw.

Voice: Moans, screams and a loud “gunshot” and “whoop” sounds (produced by male).

Breeding: Single calf born after gestation period of 1 yrs. Weaned at 9 to 12 months. May live up to 70 yrs.

Diet: Feeds only on Copepods, occasionally krill.

Habitat: This species live in the temperate and sub-polar waters of the world, where they are found in the coastal and continental shelf region.

Habits: Single female is mated by several males; unlike other baleen whales, right whales are skimmers: they feed by removing prey from the water using baleen while moving with their mouth open through a patch of zooplankton.

Conservation Status: Species listed as ‘Endangered’ on IUCN red list.

Distribution in Gujarat: There is no definite record of Black Right Whale found along the Gujarat Coast, though there was one instance of the specimen to have stranded at Gajana in Gujarat in 1944 which was later identified as Blue Whale Balaenoptera musculus. Considering the habitat preference of the Black Right Whale, if indeed it was this species, then it must have been a stray animal.

 

 

 

 

 

References:

• Sathasivam, K. (2004). Marine Mammals of India. Universities Press (India) private limited. Hyderabad. Pp: 40

• Marine Mammals Facts Courtesy: Animal Fact Files- Mammals. The Brown Reference Group Plc.