Right Whales and Bowhead Whales: Balaenidae

Throughout the nineteenth century and until recent times, right and bowhead whales were among those whales most sought by hunters. Whalers would bring in thousands of whales every year. Not only were whales a plentiful source of meat, but their blubber could be used to make oil for lamps. The baleen whales were particularly prized, because baleen could be used to make hoop skirts, shirt collars, and other clothing items because it was stiff, yet flexible. The invention of electric lighting, as well as new kinds of metal and plastic, has eliminated the need for almost all whale products in the modern world. In the 1930s, the International Whaling Commission banned the hunting of right and bowhead whales, although some hunting still occurs illegally. Native people of the Arctic are still allowed to hunt whales, and they use them for food, oil, and in the construction materials of sleds, baskets, traps and other items.