The International Union for Conservation of Nature announced Thursday that North Atlantic right whales are now on its list of critically endangered species, a step away from being extinct in the wild. The Switzerland-based organization’s Red List is one of the most-cited endangered species lists in the world. Among the most successful hunters of North Atlantic right whales were the Basques of Iberia (Spain). It is now mostly found along the Atlantic coast of North America, where it is threatened by entanglement in fishing gear and ship collisions. North atlantic right whale Synonyms Balaena glacialis, Balaena biscayensis, Balaena nordcaper, Balaena glacialis glacialis Lifespan, ageing, and relevant traits Maximum longevity 67 years (wild) Source ref. The International Union for Conservation of Nature said it is moving the North Atlantic right whale from “endangered” to “critically endangered” on its Red List of jeopardized species. The whales spend part of their lives off Georgia’s coast, giving birth and raising their calves here in the fall and winter. The North-Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered of all large whales, with a long history of human exploitation and no signs of recovery despite protection from whaling since the 1930s. NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE CONSORTIUM. Some scientists believe these whales have gone extinct in the eastern North Atlantic … By the 1600s those whale … They started hunting whales in western Europe in the 11th century and continued until whales there were depleted. Home ANNUAL MEETING NARWC Databases Right Whale News Report Cards Resources history A thousand years ago, in the 11th century, the Basques developed whaling techniques that made them the world's first modern whalers. Basque whalers then moved across the Atlantic to Labrador, where from 1520 to 1630 they hunted right and bowhead whales along migration routes. They live in a section of the Pyrenees mountain range that borders the Bay of Biscay where modern-day Spain and … 642 Sample size Medium Data quality Acceptable Observations.