What Animal Lives Where

Where has the southern right whale been recorded?

Eubalaena australis occurrence evidence comes from 2,582 records in 14 countries and territories, from 1861 to 2026. Most records come from Argentina.

southern right whale
southern right whale — Photo (display-sized rendition): Michaël CATANZARITI · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
MammaliaCetaceaBalaenidaeEubalaena

Observation evidence passport

Evidence found

2,582 records across 14 countries and territories, 1861–2026.

Eubalaena australis · GBIF taxon key 2440332

Source coverage

CC0 GBIF Animalia occurrence facets, including country, month and year summaries.

Refreshed 2026-09-21. Inspect the taxon on GBIF.

What this means

The species has been recorded in the listed places in the stated source universe. Peak month: July.

1 month reach at least 10% of the peak facet count.

What this does not mean

repeated describes the record pattern, not a formal range, residency, abundance or conservation assessment.

A single record remains evidence of a recording, not proof that a population lives there.

Compare this animal’s observation pattern

When it is recorded

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak month: July. Records cluster in the months an animal is present and being looked for, so a summer peak can reflect observer effort as much as the animal.

Records over time

18612026

Recording effort has risen steeply almost everywhere since the 1990s, so a rising line usually shows more observers rather than more animals.

Where southern right whale has been recorded

The countries below show where occurrence evidence exists for southern right whale. They do not define a complete habitat range: survey effort differs by place, and historical or one-off records can appear alongside repeated presence.

PlaceRecordsShare
Argentina 2,143
South Africa 147
Australia 76
South Georgia 56
Antarctica 34
Brazil 34
Falkland Islands 34
New Zealand 16
Uruguay 10
Chile 9
French Southern Territories 5
Mozambique 2
Mauritius 1
PN 1
Record pattern: repeated
Repeated records across many years and months. This is inferred from how many years and months the animal appears in, not from a range map — treat it as evidence, not a formal assessment.