The resident also remarked that it was particularly unusual for them to be seen so early in the year. The Southern Right Whale is a baleen whale which feeds on krill during its summer visit to the Antarctic. These whales filter the krill through plates of baleen hanging from the roof of their mouths. In winter, when they move northward to the southern coasts South Africa and Australia, they do not feed at all. The average length and weight of the adult whale is 15 metres and 50 tonnes, with a maximum length and weight of 18 metres and 90 tonnes.
Whales breed on average in three-year cycles.
Pregnancy lasts about 11 months and the calf is suckled from a milk gland beneath the mother's body. Subscribe here and keep up to date with the free weekly web letter. Find out the Top Ten things to do in one of the following countries. Privacy Policy .