Acrobatic giants of the sea
A southern right whale can grow up to 16 meters long, about the size of an extended bus, and can weigh up to 80 tons! Their massive bodies are typically black, with occasional white patches on the belly. Their heads are massive, about a quarter of their total body length. The mouth is long and arched, and unlike some whale species, they do not have a dorsal fin. They move forward by waving their broad, V-shaped tails up and down, not side to side like fish. They use their flippers to change direction, much like how an airplane changes course.
How can you identify them?
Around the southern right whale's head, there are whitish or yellowish patches-rough patches on the skin covered with colonies of tiny crustaceans (Cyamidae), known as whale lice. Karina Groch, coordinator of the Brazilian Southern Right Whale Project, explains: "The pattern formed by these patches is unique, just like each person's fingerprints, making it possible to identify individual southern right whales. We take photos of these patch patterns on the whales when they visit our coast and keep these photos on record."
According to biologists, it's difficult to determine the age of a southern right whale when it dies because this whale species lacks teeth. It's estimated that a whale's expected lifespan averages around 65 years.
Unusual feeding habits
Southern right whales feed on tiny crustaceans. On either side of the whale's upper jaw, there is a filtering system consisting of hundreds of baleen plates with fine hairs on the edges. As they swim, water is filtered through these baleen plates into their open mouths, trapping tiny prey in the baleen hairs. In this way, each whale can consume up to two tons of crustaceans per day.
How did they get their name?
From the 18th century onwards, whalers hunted these whales extensively in the Southern Hemisphere. In English, the southern right whale is named because they were considered the "right" whales to hunt. Why? They swim slowly, making them easy to catch, even for whalers in small wooden boats equipped only with hand harpoons. Unlike other whales, southern right whales float when dead due to their thick blubber layers. Whalers could thus easily tow them ashore.
At that time, whale oil and baleen were important commercial products. Whale oil was used in street lamps and as a lubricant. Baleen was used to make products like corsets, umbrellas, and whips. In fact, the baleen plates of just one whale could cover the expenses of an entire expedition!
In the early 20th century, southern right whales were nearly hunted to extinction, and eventually, whaling became unprofitable. In Brazil, the last whaling station closed in 1973. While the numbers of some species are slowly recovering, others remain critically endangered.
Elke jaar, aan die begin van Julie, besoek suidelike noordkapperkoeie (Eubalaena australis) die suidelike kus van Santa Catarina, Brasilië. Hulle swem duisende kilometers, van so ver as die Suidpoolgebied af, om geboorte te kom gee en hulle kalfies in die vlak water te soog. Inwoners en toeriste op die strande en kranse geniet dit maande lank om die walvisse dop te hou-ma’s en hulle kalfies wat rus of in die water baljaar! *
Akrobatiese reuse van die see
’n Walviskoei kan 16 meter lank word, ongeveer die grootte van ’n verlengde bus, en kan tot 80 ton weeg! Die massiewe lyf is gewoonlik swart, en daar is soms wit kolle op die maag. Die kop is massief, ’n kwart van die hele liggaamslengte. Die bek is lank en boogvormig, en anders as party walvisspesies het hulle nie ’n rugvin nie. Hulle swem vorentoe deur hulle breë, V-vormige stert op en af te beweeg, nie van kant tot kant soos visse nie. Hulle gebruik hulle vinne om van rigting te verander, amper soos ’n vliegtuig van rigting verander.
Hoewel noordkappers so groot is, is hulle baie soepel en kan hulle verstommende toertjies doen. ’n Mens kan sien hoe hulle seil deur hulle stert vir lang tye in die lug hou, hoe hulle die water hard met hulle stert slaan en hoe hulle uit die water opspring en dan met ’n groot geplons, wat van ver af sigbaar is, in die water terugval.
Volgens bioloë is dit moeilik om te sê hoe oud ’n noordkapper is wanneer hy doodgaan omdat hierdie walvisspesie nie tande het nie. Daar word geskat dat ’n walvis se verwagte lewensduur gemiddeld 65 jaar is. *
Vreemde eetgewoontes
Noordkappers eet klein skaaldiertjies. Aan weerskante van die walvis se bokaak is daar ’n filtreerstelsel wat bestaan uit honderde baleinplate met fyn haartjies op die rante. Terwyl hulle swem, word die water deur die baleinplate in hulle oop mond gefiltreer en word die piepklein prooi in die baleinhaartjies gevang. Sodoende kan elke walvis tot twee ton skaaldiertjies per dag verorber.