How did the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale get its name?
People in North America began using the term “right whale” in the early 1700s, and originally “right” may have meant “typical,” as these whales were considered common and ordinary. However, over time, the term evolved to refer to how they were hunted—they were considered “the right whales to hunt.”
Before whaling began, estimates suggest there were 9,000 to 21,000 North Atlantic right whales. By the early 1900s, there were fewer than 100.
Today, there are about 350 North Atlantic right whales, and the species is no longer hunted. However, other human activities—like fishing and shipping—are still killing these whales. Every individual matters in the fight to save them.
Photo: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, taken under NOAA permit 20556
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I’m not an expert in this topic so I’m just saying what I think: but my guess is that it’s just a matter of how people interpreted it throughout history. During the early 18th century when the whales were not being hunted, that is very likely what it meant. But over time, as more people heard the term, they possibly believed it to be people saying that the North Atlantic right whales were the “correct” whales to kill, so that possibly drove whalers to specifically target the species in comparison to other whales that were common in the area at the time.