whale_facts

Marine Animals:
Dolphins & Porpoises
Manatees
Penguins
PolarBears
Seals & Sea Lions
Sharks
Turtles
Whales

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OceanSpot Fact Tables: WHALES

Overview: All dolphins and whales are part of the Order "Cetacea." There are then two Suborders of whales: "baleen" whales (Mysticeti) and "toothed" whales (Odontoceti). Baleen whales do not have teeth, but rather long plates of keratin that hang from the roof of the mouth. Baleen whales are basically like giant filter feeders. They swallow large amounts of fish or small organisms such as krill, close their mouth, then push their tongue to the roof of their mouth to force out water through giant throat slits. The baleen plates help to block the food from escaping. In a large Blue whale, the baleen plates can reach up to four feet in length. Toothed whales include whales such as the Sperm whale, the Orca, and the unique Narwhal that is sometimes referred to as the "unicorn of the sea."

Baleen Whales (suborder Mysticeti):

Animal	Brief Description	Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Suborder	Family	Genus	Species
Atlantic Northern Right Whale	Lives in Northern Hemisphere; about 50-60 feet long; separate species from Southern Right Whale; VERY highly endangered; current estimates are that only 300-350 animals still exist.	Animalia	Chordata	Mammalia	Cetacea	Mysticeti	Balaenidae	Eubalaena	glacialis
Blue Whale	Largest living whale and largest living creature on Earth; about 80-90 feet long; currently endangered.	Animalia	Chordata	Mammalia	Cetacea	Mysticeti	Balaenopteridae	Balaenoptera	musculus
Bowhead Whale	Arctic whale; doesn't migrate; about 50-60 feet long; highly vocal; currently endangered.	Animalia	Chordata	Mammalia	Cetacea	Mysticeti	Balaenidae	Balaena	mysticetus
Bryde's Whale	General range is from 40 degrees North to 40 degrees South; about 30-60 feet long; not much is known about this whale than is known about other species.	Animalia	Chordata	Mammalia	Cetacea	Mysticeti	Balaenopteridae	Balaenoptera	brydei
Fin Whale	Second largest animal on Earth behind the Blue whale; about 60-75 feet long; lives in both Northern and Southern hemispheres; currently endangered.	Animalia	Chordata	Mammalia	Cetacea	Mysticeti	Balaenopteridae	Balaenoptera	physalus
Gray Whale	One of the longest migrations of any mammal; migrates 12,000+ miles every year between breeding grounds near Mexico and feeding grounds near Alaska; about 40-60 feet long; bottom feeder; some populations are critically endangered.	Animalia	Chordata	Mammalia	Cetacea	Mysticeti	Eschrichtiidae	Eschrichtius	robustus
Humpback Whale	Energetic and curious; about 40-50 feet; ranges in Northern and Southern hemispheres; generally only feeds in the summer; currently endangered.	Animalia	Chordata	Mammalia	Cetacea	Mysticeti	Megapterinae (sub-family)	Megaptera	novaeangliae
Northern Minke Whale	About 35-35 feet long; Japan hunts and kills these whales and says it's for "scientific research."	Animalia	Chordata	Mammalia	Cetacea	Mysticeti	Balaenopteridae	Balaenoptera	acutorostrata
Pacific Northern Right Whale	Extremely endangered; population may be beyond rescue with only 100-300 individuals left.	Animalia	Chordata	Mammalia	Cetacea	Mysticeti	Balaenidae	Eubalaena	japonica
Pygmy Bryde's Whale	Generally found in eastern Indian and western Pacific waters; sometimes called Eden's Whale; not much is known about this species.	Animalia	Chordata	Mammalia	Cetacea	Mysticeti	Balaenopteridae	Balaenoptera	edeni
Sei Whale	Resembles and often confused with the Bryde's whale; third largest whale after the Blue and Fin whales; about 40-55 feet long; currently endangered.	Animalia	Chordata	Mammalia	Cetacea	Mysticeti	Balaenopteridae	Balaenoptera	borealis
Southern Minke Whale	About 35-35 feet long; Japan hunts and kills these whales and says it's for "scientific research."	Animalia	Chordata	Mammalia	Cetacea	Mysticeti	Balaenopteridae	Balaenoptera	bonaerensis
Southern Right Whale	Resident of Southern Hemisphere; about 50-60 feet long; have callosities on head; currently endangered.	Animalia	Chordata	Mammalia	Cetacea	Mysticeti	Balaenidae	Eubalaena	australis
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Toothed Whales (suborder Odontoceti):

Coming Soon!

Animal	Brief Description	Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Suborder	Family	Genus	Species




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