South Carolina State Migratory Marine Mammal

Northern Right Whale Eubalaena glacialis Adopted: June 3, 2009

South Carolina State Migratory Marine Mammal:
Northern Right Whale
Photographs, prints, posters

South Carolina Law

The following information was excerpted from the The South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 1, Chapter 1, Article 9, section 1-1-713.

Title 1 - Administration of the Government
CHAPTER 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
ARTICLE 9. STATE EMBLEMS, PLEDGE TO STATE FLAG, OFFICIAL OBSERVANCES
SECTION 1-1-713.

SECTION 1-1-713. Official state migratory marine mammal.

The "northern right whale" (Eubalaena glacialis) is designated as the official state migratory marine mammal.

Sources...

State of South Carolina. South Carolina Code of Laws. Columbia: State of South Carolina, 2011. Web. 29 May 2011. .
Shearer, Benjamin F. and Barbara S. State Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols: A Historical Guide Third Edition, Revised and Expanded. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 3 Sub edition, 2001.

South Carolina State Migratory Marine Mammal:
Mother and "Calf"
Photographs, prints, posters

Additional Information

Right Whale Migration: Frequently Asked Questions: Students Ask and Experts Answer, Contributed by Whale Expert Anne Smrcina from the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.

The North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium: Website of organization dedicated to the study, protection, and conservation of the North Atlantic right whale.

Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis): National Geographic Society: Animals.

North Atlantic Right Whales (Eubalaena glacialis): National Oceanic and Atmospheric Asscociation(NOAA): National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources.

North Atlantic Right Whale Facts Eubalaena glacialis: Defenders of Wildlife website.

Eubalaena glacialis (North Atlantic Right Whale): Smithsonian Museum of Natural History - North American Mammals.

Eubalaena glacialis (North Atlantic right whale): The University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web.

Eubalaena glacialis - (Müller, 1776), North Atlantic Right Whale: A network connecting science with conservation - NatureServe Explorer: An Online Encyclopedia of Life.

Eubalaena glacialis (Müller, 1776): Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Here you will find authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

State Marine Mammals: Complete list of official state marine mammals from NETSTATE.COM.

State Mammals: Complete list of official state mammals from NETSTATE.COM.

More symbols & emblems: Complete list of official South Carolina state symbols from NETSTATE.COM.

The Search for the Right Whale, by Scott Kraus and Kenneth Mallory. 36 pages. Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (May 11, 1993) Reading level: Ages 9-12. In addition to accurate and current information, young readers expect to be entertained. It is this successful combination of elements which makes The Search for Right Whale a remarkable book.

Authors Scott Kraus and Kenneth Mallory provide readers with an investigation of the North Atlantic right whale, including whale history, biology, and conservation. Readers learn the process of how scientists gather and analyze information as they trace the path of the rarest whale in the ocean along the Atlantic Coast. The material presented is the result of more than a decade of contributions and cooperative efforts by researchers from Massachusetts to Florida.

An interesting history of the right whale is presented and is documented with prints and information from whaling ship log books. Unique characteristics of the right whale, such as the V-shaped spout, and the importance of the patterns of callosities for the identification of individual whales, are explained. Migration patterns and behavior of the right whales are explored with engaging style. The richly informative text is accompanied by many excellent photos, maps, and historical prints and drawings.

Disappearing Giants

Disappearing Giants: The North Atlantic Right Whale, by Scott Kraus and Kenneth Mallory. 48 pages. Publisher: Bunker Hill Publishing (October 7, 2004) The North Atlantic right whale is the most endangered large whale in the oceans today. This is a story of science and rediscovery, of survival and protection, and of research, without which we cannot hope to protect the right whale’s habitat.

Right Whales
Phil Clapham

Right Whales, by Phil Clapham. 72 pages. Publisher: Voyageur Press (November 29, 2004) Right Whales covers the characteristics (life history, group life, reproduction, mortality) and ecology of these creatures. Phil Clapham also discusses the serious threats that right whales face, and informs readers about what can be done to protect them.

This book is an excellent general introduction that’s full of fascinating facts and fabulous four-color photographs. It presents scientific insights and information in a way that is both readable and highly enjoyable for a popular audience.

The Urban Whale

The Urban Whale: North Atlantic Right Whales at the Crossroads, edited by Scott D. Kraus and Rosalind M. Rolland. 576 pages. Publisher: Harvard University Press (March 30, 2010) In 1980 a group of scientists censusing marine mammals in the Bay of Fundy was astonished at the sight of 25 right whales. It was, one scientist later recalled, "like finding a brontosaurus in the backyard." Until that time, scientists believed the North Atlantic right whale was extinct or nearly so. The sightings electrified the research community, spurring a quarter century of exploration, which is documented here.

The authors present our current knowledge about the biology and plight of right whales, including their reproduction, feeding, genetics, and endocrinology, as well as fatal run-ins with ships and fishing gear. Employing individual identifications, acoustics, and population models, Scott Kraus, Rosalind Rolland, and their colleagues present a vivid history of this animal, from a once commercially hunted commodity to today’s life-threatening challenges of urban waters. Hunted for nearly a millennium, right whales are now being killed by the ocean commerce that supports our modern way of life. This book offers hope for the eventual salvation of this great whale.