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Kingdom: Animal, Phylum: Chordata, (Subphylum: Vertebrata), Class: Mammalia, Order:

Cetacea, (Suborder: Mysticeti), Family: Balaenidae, Genus: Eubalaena, Species: Glacialis,

(Subspecies: Glacialis).⁶Of all of the large whale species, the Northern Right Whale is the most

endangered.⁷"Endangered: a species threatened with extinction; broadly: anyone or anything

whose continued existence is threatened."⁸There are only about 250 Northern Right Whales left

in the entire world today, while before the time of commercial whaling in the fifteenth century

there were around 100,000. They look mostly black and sometimes have white patches on their

bellies. They can grow to be up to 56 feet in length and weigh up to 63.5 metric tons; that's

139,700 pounds. They have no dorsal (back) fin and their heads are very large. The head of a

Northern Right Whale is about one fourth of the size of its entire body. On the top, they have a

spout that is shaped like a "V". This is used for breathing in and out and can appear to be two

holes when the whale blows out because the "V" shape allows for the water and air they blow

out to go in two different directions.

Around their eyes and mouths, they have light

colored skin patches called " Callosites".

Each whale has an individual pattern of callosities that never changes. These are what

researchers use to identify and track each whale. There are about 202 to 270 pairs of black baleen

in a Right Whale's mouth.

6 _{http://nmml.afsc.noaa.gov/education/cetaceans/righttax.htm.}
7 _{http://www.valleyweb.com/whalewatch/.}
8 _{http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary.}
9 _{http://images.google.com/images?q=Northern+Right+Whale&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-}8&start=40&sa=N.
10 _{http://www.whalewatchingplymouth.com/whales.htm.}