🔍 Key Concepts

• Northern right whale distinguishing features (head shape, skin markings, fin characteristics, and blow pattern) • Differences between right whales and other large whales (like humpback and fin whales) • How mariners are trained to visually recognize protected species for collision-avoidance rules

💭 Think About

• Look at each choice and ask: Is this a commonly taught, distinctive field mark of Northern right whales, or is it more generic and shared with many whale species? • Think about what you would most likely notice first from the bridge of a vessel: the head, the back, or the blow? Which of these features are emphasized in training materials and notices to mariners? • Consider whether Northern right whale identification is based on a single unique trait or a combination of several traits working together.

✅ Before You Answer

• For each option, verify whether it is a documented, characteristic feature of Northern right whales (not just whales in general). • Ask whether right whales have a dorsal fin or not, and whether this is used operationally as a key ID feature. • Confirm if the blow shape is described in guidance (e.g., "V" shaped) when teaching mariners how to spot right whales from a distance.