A right whale born today is expected to reach a total length about a meter shorter than one born 40 years ago, study finds
Whales in the north Atlantic are shrinking in size, researchers have found, with entanglements in fishing gear blamed for the steady decline in the length of the animals over recent generations.
On average, a right whale born today is expected to reach a total length about a meter shorter than one born 40 years ago, according to the new study. This is an average decline in length of about 7% during this period.