WorldWideWhale.com
A Web site dedicated to Cetaceans, the whales and dolphins of this blue planet,
and the people who fight to save them.
and the people who fight to save them.
January 01, 2008
Government silent on whaler watching
full story...
December 24, 2007
Ferry speed called key to collisions with whales
full story...
December 22, 2007
Japan commits to commercial whaling despite humpback backdown
full story...
December 21, 2007
More action needed to save whales
full story...
Gray Whales- Eschrichtius robustus
Gray Whales are restricted today to the north Pacific, along east and west coasts; Atlantic populations are extinct due to whaling. They are large whales, over 45 feet in length, with a slender bodies. they have no dorsal fin but a low dorsal hump. There are two to three short grooves in the throat, unlike the multiple grooves of the rorquals. They feed by swimming on their sides and scooping up silt from the bottom, straining it with their fringed baleen plates. Swimming the longest migration route of any cetacean, they move from summers in the high latitudes to winter breeding and calving grounds on the west coast of Baja, California and the south coast of Korea, traveling singly or in small groups of up to twelve.
Rorqual Whales - Balaenopteridae
Rorquals range in side from the small Minke, about 24-30 feet in length, to the giant Blue Whale, the largest creature on earth, at 60-84 feet long. A shared trait is the presence of deep, longitudinal grooves running down the throat and into the chest. Baleen plates are short and broad, they feed by taking in large quatities of water and straining krill, crustaceans and small fish through the baleen plates. They are usually seen in pods of 2 - 5 individuals.
Right whales are large whales, reaching up to 54 feet in length, with large heads comprising nearly a third of their total lenth. They feed on copepods by swimming slowly with mouths open through concentrations of their prey, at or near the surface of the water. They live siingly or ins mall groups of up to 3 or 4 individuals.
Pigmy Right Whale - Neobalaenidae
Found in the col-temperate waters of the southern hemisphere, these whales are small, only up to about 18 feet long. They are believed to feed on copepods but this species is poorly known.
Sperm whales are found in all oceans except the Arctic. This species includes the very large sperm whale which reaches lengths of over 54 feet and the much smaller pygmy sperm whale, a mere 12 feet long. They get their name from an organ in their heads which produce sperm oil, a highly desired prize of whalers in days past. Their primary food is squid and they can dive to incredible depths to feed , staying below the surface for 80 minutes or more. Females and young males form schools of 20-40 whales while older bachelors may form loose herds but become increasingly solitary as they age except to breed. They are a migratory species, moving from northern to southern hemispheres.
White whales are found at high latitudes in the arctic and south only to the Saint Lawrence River. They are medium-sized, 12-18 feet in length and lack a discernable dorsal fiin. Narwhals have two teeth, one is developed into a spiraled, forward-projecting tusk up to 9 feet in length in males which holds some function in social behavior, as males have been seen fencing with these tucks. White Whales are generally found in schools of up to 100 animals, migrating in response to the shifting ice packs. They are botton feeders, consuming fish and invertebrates. They are highly vocal, Belugas make a trilling sound and are known as "sea canaries."
Beaked Whales are the second largest family of cetaceans after the Delphinidae and are found in all the world's oceans. They are medium-sized, around 40 feet in length with distinctive, long and narrow beaks and up to six short grooves on their throats. They feed on squid and some fish , living in social groups of 3-40 individuals but beyond these basic facts, their ecological and social habits are not well known.
River Dolphins - Platanistidae
Generally small, at 3-9 feet in length, these dolphins have a long, slender beak with small eyes, almost atrophied from lives in muddy waters. They use echolocation to locate prey, feeding on fish and invertebrates in short, shallow dives. Group size varies widely from individuals to groups of 10 or 12, but little is known about their ecology or social behavior.
Porpoises are found in coastal waters of all seas and oceans in the northern hemisphere; along the coast of South America and in some areas of southeastern Asia. They are relatively small, from 3 to 6 feet long, weighing up to 250 pounds. Some swim fairly slowly, occupying bays, estuaries and inlets close to shore and travel in small groups of up to six individuals. Other species are found in offshore waters in groups of thousands of fast and agile swimmers.
Oceanic Dolphins - Delphinidae
Delphinidae is by far the largest family of cetaceans and probably the best known by the general public. They are small to medium-sized, ranging from 5 to 30 feet in length with bodies that are sleek and streamlined. Most have dorsal fins which are usually curved. They are also characterized by the bulge over their beak-like rostrums called a "melon" which may help focus sounds emitted in echolocation and feeding. They are found in all oceans, seas and in some river systems, living in shallow water or at least nearer the surface than other species. They are fast and acrobatic swimmers, feeing on fishes and squid, and may even use high-intensity sound to stun their prey. They are highly social, living in groups of up to 100,000 individucals and cooperate in feeding and helping each other when sick or injured.