The North Atlantic Right Whale is one of the world's most critically endangered large whales, with fewer than 350 individuals remaining. It was named the 'right' whale by whalers because it was the 'right' whale to hunt—it floated when killed and swam slowly. Today, entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes are the leading causes of mortality, threatening the species' survival.
Habitat
Northwestern Atlantic coastal and shelf waters
Diet
Copepods and other small zooplankton filtered from dense patches
How common
Very rare
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