Hunting pressures many hundreds of years ago, leading right up until the 1930s, almost wiped out right whales completely. Strict hunting bans over some 65 years, have not brought them back to levels that would assure their survival.
Right whales were once found widely along the east and west coasts of the North Atlantic.
5 species; 2 endangered.
Scientists believe there are only 300 or so northern right whales left in the North Atlantic, and even less in the North Pacific.