Previously, scientists estimated that Southern right whales live around 70 years. However, recent research has shown these endangered creatures can actually live up to 130 years, with some possibly reaching 150 years of age.

Right whales are among the most endangered species of whales. The study, published on December 20 in the journal Science Advances, revealed that Southern right whales now have one of the longest life expectancies of any mammal, second only to the bowhead whale, which has been recorded to live up to 211 years.

Overview of right whales

Right whales have been classified as endangered under the Endangered Species Act since 1970. The estimated population of North Atlantic right whales is about 372, with only 70 being breeding females. The primary threats to North Atlantic right whales are entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with vessels.

Lifespan of right whales

The median lifespan of Southern right whales is around 73.4 years, with 10% living over 131.8 years. In contrast, North Atlantic right whales only have an average lifespan of 22.3 years due primarily to human impacts, with 10% living beyond 47.2 years. The findings suggest that many baleen whales, including all balaenids, likely possess considerable untapped lifespan potential, which is important for their biology and conservation strategies.

The whaling industry drastically reduced the number of older whales in the population. Right whales were extensively hunted until the 1960s, when commercial whaling was largely banned by the International Whaling Commission. Their slow movement, valuable oil, and tendency to float when deceased contributed to their classification as the “right” whales to hunt.

Habitat of right whales

Southern right whales inhabit the Southern Hemisphere, migrating from high-latitude feeding regions in the summer to low-latitude breeding locations in the winter. Conversely, Northern Atlantic right whales are primarily located in the Atlantic coastal waters along the continental shelf. Additionally, North Pacific right whales have been sighted as far south as central Baja California, down to Hawaii, and as far north as the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk during summer months.

Estimating longevity

Estimating the life expectancy of a species can be quite complex. One challenge is that traditional methods, such as examining earwax which accumulates yearly like tree rings, require the whale to be dead.

The recent study utilized photo identification of individual female whales over several decades, from 1979 to 2021. Scientists can identify individual whales year after year through photographs. Once a whale dies, it stops being “resighted” in photographs. Researchers created “survivorship curves” based on these photos, estimating the likelihood that whales would be removed from the photographic record as they aged. These curves helped scientists estimate the maximum lifespan potential of these whales.