Southern right whale

Introduction: There is a northern right whale and a southern right whale (Eubalaena australis). They are very similar in appearance but do not mix. They got their name from early whalers who considered them to be the 'right' whales to hunt because they float when dead. As they came close to shore and were easily approachable and yielded large amounts of valuable whalebone and oil, the name stuck throughout the world's whaling industry.

Southern right whale occur in pairs or small groups and possible courtship behaviour includes aerial displays of leaping almost clear of the water (breaching) and beating the surface of the water with their tail flukes, called lobtailing. They are an inquisitive animal and will often approach boats, a feature on a cruise from either Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Sandwich Harbour. It is not a deep diver as its principal food source - small krill - are found on the upper reaches of the ocean.

Distribution: Rare, but southern right whales appear off the coast of Namibia from the months of June and November and tend to head to sheltered bays.

Diet: They are a specialist feeder on plankton and small crustaceans.

Colouring: A dark grey body, with whitish patches.

Breeding: A single calf is born after a gestation period of 11-12 months. Calves suckle from the mother for at least 6 months, with an inter-calving interval of around 3 years.

Size: Maximum length of 15-17m and a weight of some 50-63t. Calves are around 5-6m in length.