Uploaded October 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
According to Whale Watch SA, brindle colouration is present at birth in only about 4% of all Southern Right whales. This is a white colouration different from albinism, and about 94% of these individuals are males, as the genes of this colouration pattern are on the sex chromosome. The colouration is likely to turn grey as the calves get older.
some southern right whales are born with white streaks or flecks on their backs, often in the shape of a V or partial V which points forwards. However, just as in the brindle animals, these markings darken with age so that they appear grey in the adults. Individuals with this particular pigmentation pattern are termed “partial greys”. This pigmentation pattern occurs as a result of the presence of both the dominant and recessive alleles of the gene. This is because the dominant allele is not completely dominant over the recessive allele and this results in a combination of the two pigmentation patterns. This pigmentation can only occur in individuals with the gene combination Xx. Partial grey whales are, therefore, always female and about 10.5% of adult females off South Africa have this pigmentation pattern. About 1.4% of partial grey whales will also possess white blazes on their backs.
According to Whale Watch SA, brindle colouration is present at birth in only about 4% of all Southern Right whales. This is a white colouration different from albinism, and about 94% of these individuals are males, as the genes of this colouration pattern are on the sex chromosome. The colouration is likely to turn grey as the calves get older.
some southern right whales are born with white streaks or flecks on their backs, often in the shape of a V or partial V which points forwards. However, just as in the brindle animals, these markings darken with age so that they appear grey in the adults. Individuals with this particular pigmentation pattern are termed “partial greys”. This pigmentation pattern occurs as a result of the presence of both the dominant and recessive alleles of the gene. This is because the dominant allele is not completely dominant over the recessive allele and this results in a combination of the two pigmentation patterns. This pigmentation can only occur in individuals with the gene combination Xx. Partial grey whales are, therefore, always female and about 10.5% of adult females off South Africa have this pigmentation pattern. About 1.4% of partial grey whales will also possess white blazes on their backs.
