13 Jul 2018

Critter of the Week: The Southern Right Whale

From Afternoons, 3:35 pm on 13 July 2018

Whale fever has captured Wellington so today we learn more about the Southern right whale, or Eubalaena australis, or commonly called Tohora. 

They're typically black but some have irregular white patches. The flippers are large and paddle-shaped. Tohora are slow swimmers but are very acrobatic. They are also inquisitive. Tohora are a native migrant to New Zealand and are the only large baleen whales that can be regularly seen from the beach - as locals in Wellington have realised! 

DoC's theatrened species ambassador, Nicola Toki tells us what threats the Tohora face, plus the discussion around New Zealand's official rankings of endangered species. 

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Photo: DOC Freya Hjorvarsdottir