On the Verge of Extinction, These Whales Are Also Shrinking The few living North Atlantic right whales are smaller than previous generations, and some show signs of severely stunted development. A North Atlantic right whale in Cape Cod Bay. The patterns on each whale’s head are unique, allowing scientists to identify each individual and keep track of them over time.Credit...John Durban and Holly Fearnbach North Atlantic right whales are struggling to survive, and it shows. Most of the 360 or so North Atlantic right whales alive today bear scars from entanglements in fishing gear and collisions with speeding ships and, according to a new study, they are much smaller than they should be.