By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 5:14 PM on 26th September 2008
This is the amazing moment when a 50-ton right whale decided it needed to take a closer look at a wildlife photographer and his assistant. Pictured: A photographer's very close encounter with a majestic right whale
Brian Skerry, underwater photographer, was shooting pictures off the coast of Aukland Islands, New Zealand, when the giant mammal came within a few feet of his colleague Maurricio Handler.
He said: 'It look at me with great curiosity. But no aggression.'
Right whales are baleen whales belonging to the genus Eubalaena. Four right whale species are recognised in this genus. Photos by Brian Skerry of right whale.
Hello there: the right whales takes a closer look at photographer's assistant Maurricio Handler. Whale and Man Meet
Sometimes the family Balaenidae is considered to be the family of right whales. Bowhead Whale, which has its own genus, Balaena also belongs to the Balaenidae family, and so is sometimes considered a right whale. However, this article focuses on the Eubalaena species.
Right whales can grow up to 60 feet long and weigh up to 100 tons. Their rotund bodies are mostly black, with distinctive callosities (roughened patches of skin) on their heads.
They are called 'right whales' because whalers thought the whales were the 'right' ones to hunt, as they float when killed and often swim within sight of the shore.
Populations were vastly reduced by intensive harvesting during the active years of the whaling industry. Today, instead of hunting them, people often watch these acrobatic whales for pleasure.
Graceful: The giant mammal seemed to perform a beautiful dance for the photographer. Whale dance by Brian Skerry
Up and away: Two right whales swim towards the surface
The four Balaenidae species live in distinct locations. Approximate population figures: 300 North Atlantic Right Whales live in the North Atlantic; 200 North Pacific Right Whales live in the North Pacific; 7,500 Southern Right Whales are spread throughout the southern part of the Southern Hemisphere; 8,000–9,200 Bowhead Whales are distributed entirely in the Arctic Ocean.
The right whale's diet consists primarily of zooplankton and tiny crustaceans such as copepods, as well as krill, and pteropods, although they are occasionally opportunistic feeders.
They feed by "skimming" along with their mouth open. Water and prey enters the mouth but only the water can pass through the baleen and out again into the open sea.
Thus, for a right whale to feed, the prey must occur in sufficient numbers to trigger the whale's interest; be large enough that the baleen plates can filter it; and be small enough that it does not have the speed to escape.
The "skimming" may take place on the surface, underwater, or even close to the ocean's bottom, indicated by mud occasionally observed on right whales' bodies.
The full story of the right whale is in the October 2008 issue of National Geographic.
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