Whales of Patagonia

Our Patagonia kayaking & whale watching tours feature secluded campsites near the lagoons in which southern right whales give birth.  The peak season for whale watching is mid-September through mid-December.  Visit the Patagonia Tours section of our website for more information about our these very special trips.

Southern Right Whales

Southern right whales are so named due to their slow movement and curiosity toward fishing boats, which distinguished them as the “right” whale to hunt.  The right whale’s frequent proximity to the shoreline facilitated collection of mass oil deposits upon its death, making the right whale a lucrative target. Whalers held the extra-soft baleen in high regard. Consequently, this gentle baleen whale neared extinction until 1937, when a ban was place on the hunting of right whales. Today, numbers remain low (only about 12,000), with the largest populations congregating around South America and South Africa.  The largest winter breeding population (nearly 2000 animals) is found near the coastal areas of Patagonia, where whales approach the shallow beaches to give birth.

Southern right whale facts:

• Southern right whales are large and round in shape, with blunt, short flippers and wide flukes.  These whales have no dorsal fin. Females, the larger of the sexes, measure up to 60 feet it length and can weigh 80 tons, and can live at least 70 years. The jawline of these whales curves sharply upward toward the top of the head, which is nearly a third of the whale’s length.

• These whales are dark gray or black in color, and many have a white patch around their belly.  Additionally, southern right whales are easily identifiable to researches because of the many patches of callosities (callous-like rough skin growths) around their heads and outlying areas. The largest patch on a whale’s head is called a “bonnet.”  Whale lice may turn scars or wounds bright orange.

• Despite their size and rotund appearance, southern right whales display many acrobatic behaviors. They breach frequently, leaping up out of the water. Right whales also display a unique behavior called “sailing” or “headstanding,” in which they stick their fluke out of the water to catch the currents of the wind.  These displays appear to be playful and may be part of courtship.

• Gestation takes nearly a year, though females only give birth every few years. The newborn calf weighs nearly a ton and stretches up to 18 feet long.  Weaning occurs after a year, though the juvenile whales remain close to their mothers for several years thereafter.  Consequently, southern right whales are often found in groups of 2-3 animals, though pods as large as 30 are sometimes found.