Southern right whales are dark grey or black, with patches of rough white skin called callosities on their heads. Each whale has a unique pattern of callosities, so scientists can identify individual whales just by looking at these markings — a bit like a fingerprint.
These whales do not have teeth. Instead, they have long plates of a material called baleen hanging from their upper jaw, which works like a giant sieve. They swim with their mouths open through clouds of tiny shrimp-like creatures called krill, and the baleen catches the krill while the water flows out.
Right whales are famous for 'breaching' — leaping part of their enormous body out of the water and crashing back down with a spectacular splash. Nobody is completely sure why they do this, but it might be to remove parasites from their skin, to communicate, or simply because it feels good. When you see an 18-metre whale leap into the air, it is truly unforgettable.