How to Identify and Report North Atlantic Right Whales

Identifying North Atlantic Right Whales

These characteristics can help you identify a North Atlantic right whale:

• Wide, flat back: Unlike most whales, right whales do not have a fin on their backs
• White patches on head: Unique patches of lumpy, rough skin on their heads, called callosities, which appear light in color due to small crab-like creatures (cyamids) living on them
• Smooth tail: Broad tail with deep notch and smooth edges on flukes; can have white scars
• V-shaped spout: Exhales at the surface, creating a V-shaped mist
• Dark body color: Stocky bodies with shiny black skin, like killer whales and manta rays (some also have a black and white belly pattern)
• Short flippers: Short, broad, paddle-shaped fins on their sides

Right Whales Are Hard to See!

North Atlantic right whales swim and rest just at or below the surface of the water. Their dark body color and lack of a dorsal fin make them hard to see. 

Human interactions present the greatest danger to this endangered species; entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes are the leading causes of mortality. It is important to recognize right whales so that you can avoid putting them at risk, and report sightings so that we can alert others to their presence. 

Environmental conditions like bad weather, poor sea state, murky water, and low light can impact your ability to see right whales or recognize specific physical and behavioral characteristics.

How to Report Right Whale Sightings

Report all right whale sightings immediately to the NOAA hotline: 

• From Maine to Virginia: (866) 755-6622
• From North Carolina to Florida: (877) WHALE-HELP/(877) 942-5343 

Right whale sightings in any location may also be reported to the U.S. Coast Guard via channel 16 or through the Whale Alert app. If you see a right whale in your vicinity, do not approach within 500 yards.

What to report:

• Your contact information
• Date, time, and location of right whale sighting (latitude and longitude or proximity to a landmark)
• Description of the whale(s): e.g., shape of the tail, flippers, or head; visible scars; and/or behaviors
• Photos and videos of the whale(s): these are particularly helpful; should be taken from a safe distance

Real-time reports of sightings are crucial to alerting mariners in the area, but older sightings are also helpful for researchers. Photos and videos, no matter when they were taken, can help us identify individual whales and better understand their movements and behavior.

Behaviors to Look For

Right whales are large, slow-moving animals. They swim just at or below the surface of the water with very little of their bodies showing—sometimes only their head or back.

Right whales have key behavioral differences based on their location. They are found year-round in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. They tend to be more active in these areas. Common behaviors include feeding and socializing.

Between November and March, right whales can be found in the Southeast. They generally exhibit more energy-conserving behaviors such as resting and shallow breathing at the surface. 

Right whales may be seen with a calf, especially in the Southeast.

Key Differences Between Right Whales and Humpback Whales

Right whales may be mistaken for humpback whales. You can tell these species apart by looking for these features:

• Spout: Both right whales and humpback whales surface to breathe. Right whale exhales create a V-shaped spout. Humpback spouts are bushy and cloud-shaped.
• Head: Right whales have white patches (callosites) on their heads, while humpbacks have black bumps.
• Back: Unlike right whales, humpback whales have a small dorsal fin on their backs.
• Flippers: Humpback pectoral fins are long, thin, and white; right whales have short, broad, dark pectoral fins.
• Tail: The tail flukes of right whales are black with smooth edges and can have white scars. Humpback whale flukes have rough edges and vary in color from all white to all black.