Southern Right Whale
Eubalaena australis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderCetacea
- FamilyBalaenidae (Bowhead and Right Whales)
- GenusEubalaena (Right Whales)
- SpeciesEubalaena australis (Southern Right Whale)
The southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) is a large baleen whale and one of three species of right whale belonging to the genus Eubalaena. Found throughout the Southern Hemisphere, it inhabits oceans between the latitudes of 20° and 60° south. Like its northern relatives, the southern right whale is noted by its broad back without a dorsal fin, a long, arching mouth, and white growths on its head known as callosities. Previously hunted for hundreds of years, almost to extinction, the species is now protected and its global population was estimated to be around 13,600 (2009). Each year, the southern right whale migrates. During the summer months, it feeds on zooplankton and krill in the cold waters of the Southern Ocean, often near Antarctica. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Right Whale sighting in Garden Route National Park, based on 36 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Garden Route National Park
Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops aduncus
Indian Humpback Dolphin
Sousa plumbea
Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
Eden's Whale
Balaenoptera edeni
Common Dolphin
Delphinus delphis
Pygmy Sperm Whale
Kogia breviceps
Dwarf Sperm Whale
Kogia sima
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Península Valdés | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 7 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 8 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Southern Right Whale in Garden Route National Park?
About 9% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Right Whale sighting in Garden Route National Park, based on 36 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Southern Right Whale in Garden Route National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Southern Right Whale in Garden Route National Park in our monthly data.