Illustration of right whale
right whale
noun
: any of several large baleen whales (family Balaenidae and especially genus Eubalaena) that lack a dorsal fin and have very long baleen plates, an extremely large head with a V-shaped blowhole, a smooth throat, short, broad, rounded flippers, and whitish protuberances of thickened skin about the head
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The North Atlantic right whale is one of the rarest whale species in the world, according to the New England Aquarium.
—
Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
In addition to the Aquarium sightings south of Nantucket, the Center for Coastal Studies has also spotted right whales in Cape Cod Bay over the last month.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
There are estimated to be 384 right whales left in the world.
—Neal Riley, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025
According to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, the more common whale species that can be found off the state's shores are northern right whales and humpback whales.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 20 Nov. 2025
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“Right whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/right%20whale. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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