Whales (baleen and toothed whales)

Marine Life / Marine Vertebrates / Rays »

By Kerry G. Beck, last revised August 2010

Description & Behavior

• A male humpback whale off the coast of Costa Rica bellows a complex song for almost a half hour. Other male humpbacks in the same region sing the same song adding a bit here and there like the first storytellers.
• A female blue whale near Oahu, Hawaii, prods her newborn calf to the surface to take its first breath.
• A pod of 50 orcas travel for hundreds of miles through Atlantic waters following the navigation and guidance of the pod matriarch to find better feeding locales.
• A group of female sperm whales in the Gulf of Mexico form their own babysitting service taking turns diving for food and keeping an eye on the young who aren't yet ready for such a deep dive.

Throughout the oceans of the world these fascinating marine mammals form families and somehow pass down survival and communication techniques acquired over centuries. Much mystery surrounds these giants of the sea and few of us will ever get a first hand glimpse. Even the scientists and marine biologists who have gotten up close still have many unanswered questions.

It's not a good time to be a whale. Like all marine life whales face a multitude of threats from pollution, habitat degradation and loss, overfishing and other ecological problems. Despite their vast home of the sea, in most cases the threats are so severe there is not enough room to hide. Today, seven of the 13 great whale species are considered endangered or vulnerable.

Following three years of work aimed at halting or at least reducing whale hunting, talks to broker a 10-year ban came to an impasse in July with no solution in sight. While the International Whaling Commission (IWC) had banned all types of whaling, Japan, Norway and Iceland have used loopholes and ignored the ban continuing to slaughter thousands of whales since the 1980s.

A much beloved whale trainer of at Florida's SeaWorld died in February when she was attacked by Tillikum, an orca she trained for years, raising new questions on the ethics and logic behind keeping killer whales in captivity. A sperm whale was found dead in July, 77 miles south of the Gulf Coast due to the BP oil spill disaster. Then two baby sperm whales died after beaching themselves on Florida's East Coast to escape the polluted waters. Many scientific groups reported there will never be conclusive estimates on how many more whales suffered and perished due to that ecological nightmare. And at the time of this web update in early August '09, the Union for the Conservation of Nature, the World Wildlife Fund and others warned extreme danger to the Western North Pacific Gray whale was imminent. A Russian gas and oil company, Rosneft, was planning to conduct a seismic survey to search for oil and gas deposits in the ocean floor at the site of whales' main feeding habitat off Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East. That testing would be devastating to a whale and the Northern Pacific gray whale is already critically endangered with population estimates as low as 130 in that area.

The whale has never had it easy. Though the colossal marine mammal has mystified humans through the ages it's always been on the pointy end of the harpoon in lore and real life. They have been the topic of dozens of myths, legends and stories — none better known than Herman Melville's classic Moby Dick. While the children's song "Baby Beluga" may bring a smile with images of a snow white smiling creature bobbing gleefully through the waves, many portrayals of the whale are dark and misleading.

It requires some degree of study to even distinguish between the extremely varied species of whale. Currently documented there are more than 80 species of cetaceans, a group made of whales, dolphins and porpoises. Living their lives in the oceans of the world whales are air breathing, warm-blooded mammals that bear live young and nurse with milk. Whales all breathe air and store oxygen in the blood and muscles. Their lungs also are collapsible so that air is pushed into the windpipe preventing excess nitrogen from being absorbed into the tissues. And as whales open their mouths underwater to catch prey, the larynx and esophagus close automatically.

There are two different suborders of whales — the toothed whales (Odontoceti) and baleen whales (Mysticeti). Toothed whales include sperm whales and beaked whales, which hunt fish and have only one blow hole. Toothed whales seek larger prey at deeper depths and some can stay down for hours at depths of up to 2,250 meters.

Behavior varies among species, but research supports that as a whole whales are extremely intelligent with a language of their own that they use not only to communicate across miles, but across generations. Most whales function as part of highly social groups, or pods, and work together in feeding, raising their young and interacting. But with every observed behavior comes a host of new questions. For example it's not known for sure why some whales breach or propel out of the waves and splash down with tale flukes slapping into the surf. They may be communicating or just having fun.

The song of the humpback has been studied for decades but little has been deciphered in terms of meaning behind the precise clicks, moans and thumps. The complex songs can last for 20 minutes and be heard 30 kilometers, or 20 miles, away. A male may sing for hours, repeating the same song over and over. All males in a population will sing that same song and it continually evolves over time. The oral communications skills of the humpbacks are believed to be an indicator of high intelligence with some suggesting they have their own sophisticated whale language.

Each year many species of whale migrate thousands of miles, heading to cooler waters to feed during summer months and then to warmer tropical or subtropical waters to calve in the winter. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Office of Protected Resources reported the longest recorded migration of a humpback was 8,300 kilometers, or 5,160 miles. Seven whales including a calf made that trek from Costa Rica to Antarctica. The Alaska to Hawaii route is another closely studied route for those monitoring humpback's seasonal migratory patterns. NOAA reported humpbacks have been observed making that 4,830 kilometer, or 3,000 mile, trip in as little as 36 days.

What They Look Like
Because of their physiological adaptations to the marine environment, whales have been able to grow to enormous sizes. The biggest dinosaur documented weighed only about a quarter the size of a large blue whale. Considering the size of the whale also really brings home the immense size of their home. And looking a bit closer at each whale species there are some pretty big differences for telling them apart.

One of the most elusive whales, the sperm whale, is the largest of the toothed whales with a signature gigantic box-shaped head. Spending 90 percent of its life in the deeper depths of the ocean makes it a difficult species to spot or study. This diving ability may have helped the sperm whale achieve its rating as one of the most abundant of the great whales today. After all it's pretty hard to hunt something living thousands of feet under the surface of the ocean.

The sperm whale's big boxy head is hard to miss or confuse with another whale and it can measure up to 6 meters, or 20 feet, long, almost one-third of the whale's entire body size. The sperm whale's big noggin houses a unique spermaceti organ full of a waxy oil-like substance that made it a prime target for whalers in the 18th and 19th Centuries off the New England coast. Scientists believe the sperm whale uses its spermaceti organ as a buoyancy control device. The waxy oil inside the organ has a melting point of 25 to 35 degrees Celcius, or 77 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. By controlling blood flow to the organ and in turn the temperature, the whale may be able to control whether the wax is solid or liquid. If solid, the substance contracts and becomes heavier making it a lot easier for the whale to sink down to the ocean depths. For the journey back up to the top, if melted, the wax would expand making the whale less dense. The spermaceti also may be used by the whale to control the beam of sound it uses for echolocation. Like dolphins, sperm whales use echolocation in which they produce a series of clicks and other sounds that bounce off objects and provide a sound-based map of the environment and potential prey in deep dark and murky waters.

Another well known distinguishing characteristic of a whale is the blowhole, but even those come in a variety. The sperm whale has a single blowhole on the left side that shoots a single stream of water into the air at an angle, while the blue whale has two which it can use to spout up the highest, sometimes up to 9 meters. Humpbacks, a favorite of many for their acrobatic breaching displays where they propel high into the air and slash down with thundering force, also have two blowholes right on top of their head. A large misty cloud forms high into the air when they exhale or blow.

Humpbacks can be recognized by their long flippers or pectoral fins that can be up to one-third of their size, large flukes (tails) and large humps in front of their dorsal fins. They have a very slim head, or rostrum, with numerous knobs, covering the head and lower jaw. Tail flukes of the humpback are often referred to as their fingerprints, with no two the same, distinguished by grey and white markings. Many barnacles also hitch a ride on the humpbacks and can be easily spotted when the whales open their massive mouths toward the skies. The female of this species, slightly larger than the male, can grow up to 18 meters long and weigh 50 tons, starting off at two tons at birth.

The blue whale, another of the baleens, is the largest animal known to ever exist on the planet. Some grow up to 30 meters, or 100 feet, long and can weigh up to 200 tons. A bull elephant, the largest land animal, could stand on a blue whale's tongue. When seen skimming the surface a blue whale actually looks grey, but when under the water almost a magical luminous blue hue radiates around it. In the polar waters, a blue whale's underbelly can also give off a yellow glow due to tiny algae that make a home on the skin. Blue whales also have unique throat grooves with between 50 and 90 running the length of their chin down to their belly.

Seen in captivity by thousands at SeaWorld, the orcas, or killer whales, are perhaps the most recognizable of the whale community. An adult male can grow 8 to 10 meters, or 27 to 33 feet, and weigh up to 12,000 pounds. Orcas are typically black with a white underbelly and white patches behind their eyes and a grayish-white "saddle patch" behind their dorsal fin. The male's dorsal fin stands more upright and appears sharp like a shark's fin, while the female's dorsal fin is more rounded and pointed back toward the tail. This is another species of whale frequently spotted breaching and dancing through the seas. They also "spy hop" in which they pop their heads out of the water with body and tail pointing straight down. They have good eyesight so this maneuver may simply to get a good scan of their environment. They also do the "lobtail" move, a carefree maneuver of repeatedly slapping the fluke on the surface.

How They Swim and Navigate
Majestic mountains appear to grow out of the waves, dark skin shimmering with beads of water as the whale bounds into the sky, thunderously splashing down with tail fluke slapping into the surf. Under the surface they glide effortlessly. Against the never-ending seascape not even their size constrains them. Many follow seasonal migration patterns to feed and breed. They travel thousands of miles, some in gigantic pods guiding each other along the way and others making more solitary journeys. A sperm whale uses its unique design and specialized organ to dive deeper than any of the others. The orca will pop its massive head out to survey for potential prey while the humpback frolics with super long pectoral fins spinning it in motion against a setting sun.

The whale has all the right equipment for swimming and navigating the unpredictable ocean current. Its body is fusiform, resembling the streamlined form of a fish. The forelimbs, also called flippers, are paddle-shaped. The end of the tail holds the fluke, or tail fins, which provide propulsion by vertical movement. Most species of whale also have a dorsal fin. Beneath the skin lies a layer of fat, the blubber that serves as an energy reservoir and also as insulation. The neck vertebrae are fused in most whales providing stability during swimming at the expense of flexibility. Whales breathe through blowholes, located on the top of the head so the animal can remain submerged. Baleen whales have two blowholes and toothed whales have one. The way the air projects out of a whale's blowhole also differs between species. And a unique respiratory system allows them to stay underwater for long periods of time without taking in oxygen. The sperm whale, for example, can stay underwater for up to two hours holding a single breath.

How They Communicate
Whales live in a world dominated by sound, which travels much more efficiently through water than through air. They use sophisticated communications to navigate this world. There are many theories behind the different whale sounds and song. Male humpback whales, for example, sing in some cases to attract females. The sound waves from a whale breaching can be heard by some miles away. Whales have no vocal cords but are able to warble for up to 30 minutes between breaths just by recycling air. They also emit low frequency sounds that can be heard by humans such as grunts, barks, squeaks, chirps or even moos. These noises are thought to be associated with different moods as well as breeding and social cues. The sounds also might serve as a signature to allow one animal to be recognized by another. Certain pods are known to even have dialects than can be distinguished from others.

Communication clicks also can be repeated at different frequencies with low frequencies traveling long distances that are highly penetrating. Toothed whales have a structure called the melon on their forehead that focuses and directs the sound waves. Incoming sounds are received primarily in the lower jaw, which is filled with fat or oil that transmits the sound to the inner ear. Some such as the sperm whale also use echolocation like dolphins. Echolocation is a skill that only toothed cetaceans, bats and a few birds have perfected. They send out rapid sound pulses using their nasal passages and larynxes and by forcing air through a partially-opened blowhole. They then listen to the echo to navigate and find prey. From the echo, they can discern the size, shape, distance and movement of the object, which gives them the ability to catch fast-swimming prey in dark water. They are even able to distinguish between prey and non-prey.

Whales are good listeners with the help of ears that have specially adapted to the underwater environment. Unlike humans, in aquatic mammals there is no difference between the outer and inner ear environments. Instead of sound passing through the outer ear to middle ear, whales receive sound through their lower jaw, where it passes through a fat-filled cavity. While all whales have this ability, some are better at hearing from long distances than others. Blue whales, for example, can hear each other up to 1,600 kilometers, or 1,000 miles, away.

Do They Do They Sleep?
All mammals including whales sleep. However whales can't afford to fall into an unconscious state for too long because unlike other animals they need to be conscious in order to breath. It's believed that only one hemisphere of their brain "sleeps" at a time, so that the whales are never completely asleep yet still get the rest they need. Some estimates conclude whales sleep on average of eight hours a day.

World Range & Habitat

Where They Live
Toothed whales are found in almost every ocean in the world in both coastal and deep waters. Most species do not seem to be territorial, wandering instead over large areas or great distances along coastlines. Typically toothed whales live in small groups, or pods, but there is still much to be learned about their migratory patterns.

Baleen whales also are found in oceans worldwide in coast and deeper waters. However, many species of baleen whales tend to prefer the polar oceans where there is a rich abundance of the krill they feed on. Other species live in tropical and temperate waters and some migrate from tropical to polar waters each year.

Feeding Behavior (Ecology)

What They Eat and Who Eats Them
The largest animal on the planet, the blue whale, feeds on the smallest, tiny shrimp-like krill. Blue whales and other baleen whales use the fringed plate of fingernail-like material, the baleen, attached to their upper jaws to eat. They gulp an enormous amount of water and expand the pleated skin on their throat and belly to take it in. Then they use their big tongue to force the water back out through the baleen plates, capturing thousands of krill (or small fishes or plankton) that they then swallow.

While the toothed whales certainly have teeth — about 50 teeth in the case of an orca — they don't typically use teeth to chew, but rather to grab and drag their prey. Three female members of an orca pod in the Antarctic were studied working together to teach the hungry younger members how to beach on an ice block to successfully nab a sea lion. While the older females didn't seem to be interested in eating the prey, they repeated the beaching behavior until their young students caught on. The orcas also have fairly good eyesight and are able to seek out larger prey like seals, sea lions and penguins. Toothed whales also feed on fish and squid. While most species tend to make shallow dives in search of food, the sperm whale can dive up to 3,200 meters for as long as two hours in search of squid such as the giant squid.

Humpbacks are filter feeders with their mouths housing up to 400 baleen plates. And they're famous for their bubble net feeding technique — a team approach to dining. Using this tactic, a group of humpbacks will work together to capture schools of small fish like herring. Each whale plays a role in which they swim under the school in a circle while blowing bubbles. When the bubbles rise to the surface they form bubble walls, the fish can't escape and the other whales grunt to scare the fish to the surface. Almost simultaneously the whales swim through the center of the "net" opening their mouths to swallow. An average size humpback can eat up to 5,000 pounds of plankton, krill and other small fish each day during their feeding season, which is about 120 days long.

Though an adult whale has few predators, sharks on occasion can be a concern. Adults often will protect the young from shark and orca attacks. Groups of sperm whales will surround a younger or injured member in a circle with tails outward to slap against any intruder and deter an attack.

Life History

How They Reproduce
Whales are viviparous, like us, meaning that their eggs develop inside the female and the embryo derives nutrition from the mother. Whales usually mate and give birth in the spring, with pregnancies lasting between 12 and 18 months.

Whales don't reach sexual maturity until seven to 10 years of age. They reproduce slowly and generally raise one calf every one to three years following a nine to 18 month gestation period. Calves are born tail first to keep them attached to the placenta as long as possible to avoid oxygen deprivation and potential drowning. Females care for their young for extended periods of time, often at least one year, feeding and teaching them and protecting them from predators. Many whale species are at great risk of becoming endangered or extinct because low population numbers and reproductive rates cannot keep pace with the growing threats they face.

Female whales, or cows, nurse their young with milk containing a high concentration of fat. The fat-enriched milk not only contains more calories, it is dense so that it will not dissipate in sea water.

Conservation Status/Additional Comments

How You Can Help
Whales are the largest animal on the planet and have somehow managed to survive for centuries in an underwater universe, less than 5 percent of which has been explored by humans. Yet some humans still find it necessary to hunt and kill them.

As mentioned above following three years of work aimed at halting or at least reducing whale hunting, talks to broker a 10-year ban came to an impasse with no solution in sight in July. While the International Whaling Commission (IWC) had banned all types of whaling, Japan, Norway and Iceland consistently have used loopholes and ignored the ban continuing to slaughter thousands of whales since the 1980s.

The hunting of whales for commercial use has greatly diminished many whale species. Whaling can be traced back to Native Americans who hunted gray whales, but large scale whaling didn't occur until the 1600's when Europeans began whaling and were soon followed by Americans, who eventually dominated worldwide whaling. Large scale whaling started from open boats where harpoons were used. Whale blubber was used to make soap and lamp oil and baleen was used as stays for corsets and other garments. Meat and other valuable whale parts were also sold.

In the 1800's fast steamships began to be used for whaling and even the faster whales like the blue and fin whales couldn't escape the devastating harpoons. The low reproductive potential of these whales caused the whale stocks to be drastically reduced. The first species to be depleted was the right whale, so named because it was the "right" whale to be killed since it floated after being harpooned. Whaling nations even developed factory ships to process whole carcasses. Blue whales were particularly sought after because there was so much oil, about 9,000 gallons, in an average whale. As the blue and right whale populations began to dwindle, whalers moved to the fin whale and then the smaller sei whale. The disappearance of commercially profitable whales forced the whalers to move to smaller and therefore less profitable, whale species.
It wasn't until 1972 that the U.S. issued the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which banned the hunting of all marine mammals in U.S. waters and banned the importation of whale products into the U.S.

The IWC, based in Cambridge, England, was established earlier, in 1946, under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling to provide for conservation of whale stocks. The IWC's 88-member countries agree on policies such as: full protection for certain whale species, designation of whale sanctuaries, limits on the numbers and size of whales that may be taken, designation of seasons and areas for whaling, prohibiting the capture of suckling calves and their mothers. The IWC also facilitates whale research and publication of research findings.

In 1986, a moratorium on commercial whaling was enacted by the IWC. Nevertheless, countries such as Iceland, Japan, and Norway continued to take whales above and beyond acceptable catch limits. During the 2005 IWC meeting, Japan announced plans to add Humpback whales to its list of target species in spite of the zero quota established by the IWC for Humpback whales.

In 1994 the IWC declared a vast sanctuary around Antarctica, the main feeding ground for 80 percent of the surviving whales. However these waters continue to be exploited by whalers. Though much progress has been made toward the protection of whales, much more is needed.

And whaling is far from the only threat. Whales, like all marine life, are affected by the decisions and actions of human either directly or indirectly. Drift nets targeting fish catch anything in their way and that includes whales, many of which die as a result of being entangled. Harmful pollutants also collect in their blubber by a process called biomagnifications. It's also documented that whales are harmed by sonar used in military exercises. Sonar at the very least damages the inner ear of the whale and mass whale beachings have been observed in many species such as Beaked whales that use echolocation for deep diving. While the U.S. Department of Defense was ordered by Congress to limit the use of low frequency active sonar during peacetime, it remains a problem. The European Parliament requested that EU members refrain from using the powerful sonar systems until an environmental impact study is conducted.

Overfishing worldwide also is creating a scarcity of the smaller fish and krill that are a main source of food for whales. And, the seismic testing conducted by oil companies seeking new ocean floor drilling sites has the same devastating effect. Oil spills, as witnessed in recent months on the Gulf Coast have devastating effects, wreaking havoc on the environment for whales and all marine life. As mentioned above at least one Sperm whale died as a result of that spill, but there is no way to ever know how many more perished. Whether they are driven from safe hunting grounds by human activity, hunted, blasted by noise or poisoned by human pollution, whales face more threats than ever. For more information on organizations working to save the whales and how you can help, see: Whales & Dolphins Conservation organizations.

Taxonomy

Cetacea is the taxonomic order that includes all 81 known species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises—the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life. The order is subdivided into two suborders: the baleen whales (Mysticeti) and the toothed whales (Odontoceti). They range in size from the small vaquita porpoise that only measures up to 1.5 m in length and weighs about 55 kg to the enormous blue whale that measures an average of 25 m in length and weighs around 100,000 kg!

Taxonomy: Animalia » Chordata » Mammalia » Cetacea - Suborders: Mysticeti, Odontoceti, and Archaeoceti (extinct) (Fossil range: Early Eocene - Recent)

The classification here closely follows Dale W. Rice, Marine Mammals of the World: Systematics and Distribution (1998), which has become the standard taxonomy reference in the field. There is very close agreement between this classification and that of Mammal Species of the World: 3rd Edition (Wilson and Reeder eds., 2005). Any differences are noted using the abbreviations "Rice" and "MSW3" respectively. Further differences due to recent discoveries are also noted. Discussion of synonyms and subspecies are relegated to the relevant genus and species articles.

ORDER CETACEA

• Suborder Mysticeti: Baleen whales
  • Family Balaenidae: right whales and bowhead whale
    • Genus Balaena
      • Bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus
    • Genus Eubalaena
      • Atlantic northern right whale, Eubalaena glacialis
      • Pacific northern right whale, Eubalaena japonica
      • Southern right whale, Eubalaena australis
  • Family Balaenopteridae: rorquals
    • Subfamily Balaenopterinae
      • Genus Balaenoptera
        • Common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata
        • Antarctic minke whale, Balaenoptera bonaerensis
        • Sei whale, Balaenoptera borealis
        • Bryde's whale, Balaenoptera brydei
        • Eden's whale Balaenoptera edeni (Rice lists this as a separate species, MSW3 does not.)
        • Omura's whale, Balaenoptera omurai (MSW3 lists this is a synonym of Bryde's Whale but suggests this may be temporary.)
        • Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
        • Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus
    • Subfamily Megapterinae
      • Genus Megaptera
        • Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
      • Genus Eobalaenoptera
        • Harrison's whale, Eobalaenoptera harrisoni
  • Family Eschrichtiidae
    • Genus Eschrichtius
      • Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus
  • Family Neobalaenidae
    • Genus Caperea
      • Pygmy right whale, Caperea marginata
• Suborder Odontoceti: Toothed whales
  • Family Delphinidae: dolphins
    • Genus Cephalorhynchus
      • Commerson's dolphin, Cephalorhyncus commersonii
      • Chilean dolphin, Cephalorhyncus eutropia
      • Heaviside's dolphin, Cephalorhyncus heavisidii
      • Hector's dolphin, Cephalorhyncus hectori
    • Genus Delphinus
      • Long-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus capensis
      • Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis
      • Arabian common dolphin, Delphinus tropicalis (Rice recognises this as a separate species. MSW3 does not.)
    • Genus Feresa
      • Pygmy killer whale, Feresa attenuata
    • Genus Globicephala
      • Short-finned pilot whale, Globicephala macrorhyncus
      • Long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas
    • Genus Grampus
      • Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus
    • Genus Lagenodelphis
      • Fraser's dolphin, Lagenodelphis hosei
    • Genus Lagenorhynchus
      • Atlantic white-sided dolphin, Lagenorhynchus acutus
      • White-beaked dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris
      • Peale's dolphin, Lagenorhynchus australis
      • Hourglass dolphin, Lagenorhynchus cruciger
      • Pacific white-sided dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens
      • Dusky dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obscurus
      • Tropical dusky dolphin, Lagenorhynchus spp.
    • Genus Lissodelphis
      • Northern right whale dolphin, Lissodelphis borealis
      • Southern right whale dolphin, Lissodelphis peronii
    • Genus Orcaella
      • Irrawaddy dolphin, Orcaella brevirostris
      • Australian snubfin dolphin, Orcaella heinsohni (2005 discovery, thus not recognized by Rice or MSW3 and subject to revision.)
    • Genus Orcinus
      • Orca (killer whale), Orcinus orca
    • Genus Peponocephala
      • Melon-headed whale, Peponocephala electra
    • Genus Pseudorca
      • False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens
    • Genus Sotalia
      • Tucuxi, Sotalia fluviatilis
    • Genus Sousa
      • Pacific humpback dolphin, Sousa chinensis
      • Indian humpback dolphin, Sousa plumbea
      • Atlantic humpback dolphin, Sousa teuszii
    • Genus Stenella
      • Pantropical spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuata
      • Clymene dolphin, Stenella clymene
      • Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba
      • Atlantic spotted dolphin, Stenella frontalis
      • Spinner dolphin, Stenella longirostris
    • Genus Steno
      • Rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis
    • Genus Tursiops (Rice and MSW3 tentatively agree on this classification.)
      • Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops aduncus
      • Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
  • Family Monodontidae
    • Genus Delphinapterus
      • Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas
    • Genus Monodon
      • Narwhal, Monodon monoceros
  • Family Phocoenidae: porpoises
    • Genus Neophocaena
      • Finless porpoise, Neophocaena phocaenoides
    • Genus Phocoena
      • Spectacled porpoise, Phocoena dioptrica
      • Harbor porpoise, Phocoena phocaena
      • Vaquita, Phocoena sinus
      • Burmeister's porpoise, Phocoena spinipinnis
    • Genus Phocoenoides
      • Dall's porpoise, Phocoenoides dalli
  • Family Physeteridae
    • Genus Physeter
      • Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus
  • Family Kogiidae (MSW3 treats Kogia as a member of Physeteridae)
    • Genus Kogia
      • Pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps
      • Indo-Pacific dwarf sperm whale, Kogia sima
      • Atlantic dwarf sperm whale, Kogia ssp.
• Superfamily Platanistoidea: river dolphins
  • Family Iniidae
    • Genus Inia
      • Amazon river dolphin, Inia geoffrensis
  • Family Lipotidae (MSW3 treats Lipotes as a member of Iniidae)
    • Genus Lipotes
      • Baiji, Lipotes vexillifer
  • Family Pontoporiidae (MSW3 treats Pontoporia as a member of Iniidae)
    • Genus Pontoporia
      • Franciscana, Pontoporia blainvillei
  • Family Platanistidae
    • Genus Platanista
      • Ganges and Indus river dolphin, Platanista gangetica
        (MSW3 treats Platanista minor as a separate species, with common names Ganges river dolphin and Indus river dolphin, respectively.)
  • Family Ziphidae: beaked whales
    • Genus Berardius
      • Arnoux's beaked whale, Berardius arnuxii
      • Baird's beaked whale (North Pacific bottlenose whale), Berardius bairdii
    • Subfamily Hyperoodontidae
      • Genus Hyperoodon
        • Northern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus
        • Southern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon planifrons
      • Genus Indopacetus
        • Indo-Pacific beaked whale (Longman's beaked whale), Indopacetus pacificus
      • Genus Mesoplodon: beaked whales
        • Sowerby's beaked whale, Mesoplodon bidens
        • Andrews' beaked whale, Mesoplodon bowdoini
        • Hubbs' beaked whale, Mesoplodon carlhubbsi
        • Blainville's beaked whale, Mesoplodon densirostris
        • Gervais' beaked whale, Mesoplodon europaeus
        • Ginkgo-toothed beaked whale, Mesoplodon ginkgodens
        • Gray's beaked whale, Mesoplodon grayi
        • Hector's beaked whale, Mesoplodon hectori
        • Layard's beaked whale, Mesoplodon layardii
        • True's beaked whale, Mesoplodon mirus
        • Perrin's beaked whale, Mesoplodon perrini (Species recognized in 2002 and is listed by MSW3 but not Rice.)
        • Pygmy beaked whale, Mesoplodon peruvianus
        • Stejneger's beaked whale, Mesoplodon stejnegeri
        • Spade-toothed whale, Mesoplodon traversii
      • Genus Tasmacetus
        • Tasman beaked whale (Shepherd's beaked whale), Tasmacetus shepherdi
      • Genus Ziphius
        • Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris

Evolution

The remains of Ambulocetus natans or "the walking whale that swam," were found in Pakistan in what's left of the Tethys Sea in 1994. Those whale remains showed that the animal once had strong legs with long feet. Though it had a tail, it lacked flukes. But it's still believed this animal swam like modern whales by moving the rear portion of its body up and down. In 2001, other fossils were found that linked early cetaceans to even-toed ungulate, or hoofed, animals, including pigs and hippos. In fact, whales are believed to be the closest living relatives of hippos, a fact scientists based on recent comparisons of milk protein genes.

All cetaceans, including whales, dolphins and porpoises, are believed to be descendants of land-living mammals of the Artiodactyl order (even-toed ungulate animals). Both cetaceaos and artiodactyl are now classified under the super-order Cetartiodactyla which includes both whales and hippos. Whales likely evolved from a common ancestor of the hippo around 54 million years ago.

Throughout their evolution, whales adapted to life at sea. Their bodies became more streamlined, forelimbs modified into flippers, tails broadened into two large flukes used to propel their bodies through the water and they developed a thick layer of blubber for insulation and buoyancy. Also, their nostrils shifted to the top of the head, creating the blowhole.

About 65 million years ago when dinosaurs became mostly extinct, it's believed marine mammals began to evolve over time from their land-dwelling ancestors. Their evolution into sea-dwelling mammals is thought to be a result of the availability of new marine food sources and a way to escape from their terrestrial predators. The fossil record for whales is not extensive so the transition period between land and water is unclear but scientists believe whales entered the water roughly 50 million years ago.

References

Castro, Peter, and Huber, Michael E. Marine Biology. 4th ed. McGraw Hill. New York, 2003.
Hoyt, Erich. Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises. HarperCollins and Time-Life/ Discovery Channel (UK/US editions), 1998.
Vassili, Papastavrou. Whale. Dorling Kindersley. New York, 1993.
Rice, D.W., 1998, Marine Mammals of the World: Systematics and Distribution, Society of Marine Mammalogy Special Publication Number 4, 231 pp.
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (eds). 2005. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed). Johns Hopkins University Press, 2,142 pp.
Wikipedia:Cetaceans, Whale, Evolution of cetaceans, Cetacea
American Cetacean Society – www.asconline.org
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – www.noaa.gov
National Geographic - http://animals/nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/blue-whale
ARKive – www.ARKive.org
Seattle Examiner, July 5, 2010, BP Gulf Oil Spill Threatens Whale, Dolphins: "ET ambassadors" vial to Earths' light-energy grid by Alfred Lambremont Webre - http://www.examiner.com/x-2912-Seattle-Exopolitics-Examiner~y2010m7d5-BP-Gulf-oil-spill-threatens-whales-dolphins-ET-ambassadors-vital-to-Earths-lightenergy-grid.
World Wildlife Federation: Scientists Find Whales More Endangered in Exxon, BP and Rosneft Oil Areas:
www.worldwildlife.org/who/media/press/2009/WWFPresitem12651.html
The Washington Post, June 24, 2010, Talks on whale hunting at impasse by Marc Kaufman and Juliet Eilperin - www.washingtonpost.com

 

 

 

 

 

THE BELOW IS CONTENT FROM AN EARLIER MARINEBIO NEWSLETTER ABOUT WHALES
Check and use whatever is better or is missing from the above which was submitted by Kelly...

Whales have mystified humans through the ages. They've been the topic of dozens of myths, legends, and stories such as those of Jonah and the Whale found in the Christian Bible and the classic Moby Dick.

Whales breathe air and store oxygen in the blood and muscles (hemoglobin and myoglobin, respectively). The lungs are also collapsible so that air is pushed into the windpipe preventing excess nitrogen from being absorbed into the tissues. As whales open their mouths underwater to catch prey, the larynx and esophagus close automatically.

The blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus, is the largest mammal, possibly the largest animal, to ever inhabit the earth. An average blue whale is 25 m long, and weighs about 100,000 kg. Females are larger than males of the same age, the largest weighing as much as 136,000 kg!

There are two different suborders of whales, toothed whales (Odontoceti) and baleen whales (Mysticeti). The toothed whales include sperm whales and beaked whales, which hunt fish and have only one blow hole. Toothed whales seek larger prey at deeper depths and some can stay down for hours at depths of up to 2,250 m. Baleen whales feed on plankton filtered through baleen and have two blow holes. The baleen whales have are flat, flexible plates with frayed edges, arranged in two rows that resemble thick hair. Baleen is composed of keratin, which is the same substance found in hair, nails, horns, and claws. The baleen combs are used to filter huge mouthfuls of water, causing their pleated throat grooves to expand, leaving plankton (phytoplankton and zooplankton), krill, or small fishes behind to eat. Baleen whales feed near the surface of the water and have no need to dive deeply so they are rarely seen deeper than 100 m.

Baleen whales do not use echolocation; however, they do communicate with sounds including moans and thumps. In fact, humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, are well-known for their complex songs that can last 30 minutes or longer. They are considered a highly "intelligent" and often very social species. Humpbacks travel in large pods and help each other raise young and find food. Their oral communication skills are believed to be an indicator of high intelligence and are thought to even contain some elements of a true language.

The sperm whale, Physeter catodon, aka the giant sperm whale, may reach 20.5 m (males) in length while females reach 12 m (sexual dimorphism).

The sperm whales, Physeter catodon, distinguished by their enormous heads, are the largest of the toothed whales and are also the largest living toothed animals. Their name comes from the milky-white waxy substance, spermaceti, found in the head, which was originally mistaken for sperm. The substance is actually a wax, which was later harvested for use in cosmetics, leatherworking and lubricants.

Because of their physiological adaptations to the marine environment, whales have been able to grow to enormous sizes. A bull elephant, the largest land animal, could stand on a blue whale's tongue. The biggest dinosaur weighed less than about ¼ that of a large blue whale; because they don't chase their prey, and expend energy on speed and agility, whales grow to enormous sizes.

Whale eyes are found on either side of their enormous heads. Beaked whales have good binocular vision forward and downward but other species, such as sperm whales, on only see on either side. Whales have tear glands that secrete oily tears protecting the eyes from salt water. Those with poor vision make up for it with excellent hearing. Though their ears are small, they are able to detect sound waves. Their inner ears are highly developed so that they can hear sounds that originate miles away and also determine their direction.

Whales are often very social animals. They've been observed hunting together, often with one leading the pod to act as a scout when entering unfamiliar territory. This close knit socialization is thought to be a cause of whale strandings when the pod follows one or more members of the group that have become disoriented due to storm, illness, or injury.

With the exception of toothed whales, most whale species migrate yearly, either in groups or individually, sometimes on extremely long journeys moving from tropical breeding grounds in winter to feeding areas in colder waters during the summer.

Toothed whales do not migrate long distances, they typically only move about in search of food.

Evolution

About 65 million years ago (mya) when dinosaurs became mostly extinct, marine mammals began to evolve over time from their land-dwelling ancestors. Their evolution into sea-dwelling mammals water is thought to be a result of the availability of new marine food sources and a way to escape from their terrestrial predators. The fossil record for whales is not extensive, therefore the transition period between land and water is unclear.

Cetaceans evolved from land mammals (most likely from certain hoofed carnivores which also gave rise to the artiodactyls—the even-hoofed mammals, including pigs and the hippopotamus) that adapted to marine life about 50 million years ago. Recent comparisons of some milk protein genes suggest that the closest terrestrial living relative of whales may be the hippopotamus. Throughout their evolution, cetaceans have become perfectly suited to an aquatic environment and have undergone a number of changes (adaptations), including streamlined bodies for efficient movement through the water, forelimbs modified into flippers, a broader tail that consists of two large flukes used to powerfully propel their bodies through the water, the development of a thick layer of fat called blubber used for insulation and buoyancy, and a repositioning of the nostrils to the top of their head creating a blowhole used at the surface for respiration.

The cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) are descendants of land-living mammals, and remnants of their terrestrial origins can be found in the fact that they must breathe air from the surface; in the bones of their fins, which look like huge, jointed hands; and in the vertical movement of their spines, characteristic more of a running mammal than of the horizontal movement of fish. The question of how land animals evolved into ocean-going behemoths has been a mystery for a long time, owing to gaps in the fossil record. However, recent discoveries in Pakistan have managed to solve many of these mysteries, and it is now possible to see several stages in the transition of the cetaceans from land to sea.

All cetaceans, including whales, dolphins and porpoises, are descendants of land-living mammals of the Artiodactyl order (even-toed ungulate animals). Both cetaceaos and artiodactyl are now classified under the super-order Cetartiodactyla which includes both whales and hippos. In fact, whales are the closest living relatives of hippos; they evolved from a common ancestor at around 54 million years ago.[1] Whales entered the water roughly 50 million years ago.[2] Cetaceans are divided into two suborders:

• The baleen whales are characterized by baleen, a sieve-like structure in the upper jaw made of keratin, which they use to filter plankton from the water. They are the largest species of whale.
• The toothed whales have teeth and prey on fish, squid, or both. An outstanding ability of this group is to sense their surrounding environment through echolocation.

Earliest ancestors
The traditional theory of cetacean evolution was that whales were related to the mesonychids, an extinct order of carnivorous ungulates (hoofed animals), which looked rather like wolves with hooves and were a sister group of artiodactyls. These animals possessed unusual triangular teeth that are similar to those of whales. For this reason, scientists had long believed that whales evolved from a form of mesonychid. However, since the early 1990s analysis of a wide variety of protein and DNA sequence data consistently indicated that whales should be included among artiodactyls. Most probably they are a sister group of hippopotamids, deeply buried within artiodactyls. The strong evidence for a clade combining cetaceans and artiodactyls is further discussed under the entry Cetartiodactyla. The recent discovery of Pakicetus, the earliest proto-whale (see below) supports the molecular data. The skeletons of Pakicetus demonstrate that whales did not derive directly from mesonychids. Instead, they are a form of artiodactyl (another type of ungulate) that began to take to the water after the artiodactyl family split from the mesonychids. In other words, the proto-whales were early artiodactyls that retained aspects of their mesonychid ancestry (such as the triangular teeth) which modern artiodactyls have since lost. An interesting implication is that the earliest ancestors of all hoofed mammals were probably at least partly carnivorous or scavengers, today's artiodactyls and perissodactyls having switched to a plant diet later in their evolution. Whales, due to the readier availability of animal prey and their need for higher caloric content to live as marine endotherms, naturally retained their carnivorous diet, as did mesonychids, who were however out-competed by better-adapted animals like the Carnivora later on (mesonychids became specialized carnivores when the overall availability of large animal prey was still low; thus their adaptation was likely at a disadvantage when new forms had filled the gaps left by the dinosaurs).

Adapting to the Sea

In 1994, the remains of Ambulocetus natans (“the walking whale that swam”) dating 49 mya were found in Pakistan in what's left of the Tethys Sea. These whale remains showed that the animal once had strong legs with long feet. It retained a tail, but lacked flukes, however it is still thought that this animal swam like modern whales by moving the rear portion of its body up and down. In 2001, other fossils were found that linked early cetaceans to even-toed ungulate (hoofed) animals, which includes pigs and hippos. In fact, whales are the closest living relatives of hippos, a fact based on recent comparisons of milk protein genes. Throughout their evolution, whales adapted to life at sea. Their bodies became more streamlined, their forelimbs modified into flippers, their tails broadened into two large flukes used to propel their bodies through the water, and they developed a thick layer of fat called blubber used for insulation and buoyancy. Their nostrils were moved to the top of their head creating the blowhole or holes used at the surface for respiration.

Like all mammals, whales breathe air into lungs, are warm-blooded, feed their young milk from mammary glands, and have some (although very little) hair. The body is fusiform, resembling the streamlined form of a fish. The forelimbs, also called flippers, are paddle-shaped. The end of the tail holds the fluke, or tail fins, which provide propulsion by vertical movement. Although whales generally do not possess hind limbs, some whales (such as sperm whales and baleen whales) sometimes have rudimentary hind limbs; some even with feet and digits. Most species of whale bear a fin on their backs known as a dorsal fin. Beneath the skin lies a layer of fat, the blubber. It serves as an energy reservoir and also as insulation. Whales have a four-chambered heart. The neck vertebrae are fused in most whales, which provides stability during swimming at the expense of flexibility. Whales breathe through blowholes, located on the top of the head so the animal can remain submerged. Baleen whales have two; toothed whales have one. The shapes of whales' spouts when exhaling after a dive, when seen from the right angle, differ between species. Whales have a unique respiratory system that lets them stay underwater for long periods of time without taking in oxygen. Some whales, such as the Sperm Whale, can stay underwater for up to two hours holding a single breath. The Blue Whale is the largest known mammal that has ever lived, and the largest living animal, at up to 35 m (105ft) long and 150 tons. Their skin has evolved hydrophilic properties. Its surface is covered with microscopic pores surrounded by nanoridges[citation needed] Between these ridges there is a rubber-like gel which is excreted from the gaps between the skin cells.[citation needed] This gel contains enzymes that attack microbes, and the edge of the ridges makes it hard for smaller organisms to get attached. Whale flukes often can be used as identifying markings, as is the case for humpback whales. This is the method by which the publicized errant Humphrey the whale was identified in three separate sightings.

Because of their environment (and unlike many animals), whales are conscious breathers: they decide when to breathe. All mammals sleep, including whales, but they cannot afford to fall into an unconscious state for too long, since they need to be conscious in order to breathe. It is thought that only one hemisphere of their brains sleeps at a time, so that whales are never completely asleep, but still get the rest they need. Whales are thought to sleep around 8 hours a day.

Anatomy of the ear
While there are direct similarities between the ears of whales and humans, whales' ears have specific adaptations to their underwater environment. In humans, the middle ear works as an impedance matcher between the outside air's low-impedance and the cochlear fluid's high-impedance. In aquatic mammals such as whales, however, there is no great difference between the outer and inner environments. Instead of sound passing through outer ear to middle ear, whales receive sound through their lower jaw, where it passes through a low-impedance, fat-filled cavity.

Over a period of a few million years during the Eocene period, the cetaceans returned to the sea, where there was a niche for large, surface-dwelling predators that had been empty since the demise of the mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Because of the increase in available living space, there was no natural limit to the cetaceans' size (i.e. the amount of weight its legs could hold) since the water provided buoyancy. It no longer had any need for legs. During this time, the cetacean lost the attributes that fitted it for land existence and gained adaptations for life at sea. Its hind limbs disappeared and its body became more tapered and streamlined – a form that enabled it to move swiftly through the water. The cetacean's original tail was transformed into a pair of flukes that sculled with a vertical motion. As part of this streamlining process, the bones in the cetaceans' front limbs fused together. In time, what had been the forelegs became a solid mass of bone, blubber and tissue, making very effective flippers that balance the cetaceans' tremendous bulk. To preserve body heat in cold oceanic waters, the cetacean developed blubber, a thick layer of fat between the skin and the flesh that also acts as an emergency source of energy. In some cetaceans the layer of blubber can be more than a foot thick. No longer needed for warmth, the cetacean's fur coat disappeared, further reducing the resistance of the giant body to the water. The ear bone called the hammer (malleus) is fused to the walls of the bone cavity where the ear bones are, making hearing in air nearly impossible. Instead sound is transmitted through their jaws and skull bones.

Communications
Whales are capable of sophisticated communications because they live in a world dominated by sound, which travels much more efficiently through water than through air. Humpback whales sing to attract females. The slap on the surface of a whale breaching can be heard for miles. Whales have no vocal cords; they warble for up to 30 minutes between breaths just by recycling air. They also emit low frequency sounds that can be heard by humans such as grunts, barks, squeaks, chirps, or even moos. These noises are thought to be associated with different moods and are believed to be used as social or sexual cues during communication. They might also serve as a signature to allow one animal to be recognized by another. Certain pods are known to even have dialects than can be distinguished from others.

Echolocation is a skill that only toothed cetaceans, bats and a few birds have perfected. They send out rapid sound pulses using their nasal passages and larynxes and by forcing air through a partially-opened blowhole. They then listen to the echo to navigate and find prey. From the echo, they can discern the size, shape, distance, and movement of the object, which gives them the ability to catch fast-swimming prey in dark water. They are even able to distinguish between prey and non-prey objects.

Whales also use sound to communicate, whether it be groans, moans, whistles, clicks or the complex 'singing' of the Humpback Whale. Clicks can be repeated at different frequencies with low frequencies traveling long distances that are highly penetrating. Toothed whales have a structure called the melon on their forehead that focuses and directs the sound waves; incoming sounds are received primarily in the lower jaw, which is filled with fat or oil that transmits the sound to the inner ear.

Social Behavior
An often used, but discredited indicator of intelligence is overall brain size, since humans have bigger brains than most other animals. Whales have the largest brain of any animal. A typical sperm whale brain weighs about 7.8 kg, whereas a typical human brain weighs about 1.5 kg. While it may seem that this would indicate that five times greater intelligence, there is a theory that, in mammals, intelligence should be measured in the brain mass to body mass ratio, and that most of the extra brain capacity is used to manage the larger body. Only here do humans have an advantage. A human brain comprises about 2% of the human body mass, while the sperm whale's brain comprises only 0.02% of its body mass. A cattle brain is four times as large as a whale's by this criterion. On the other hand, a large proportion of a whale's body mass is blubber, which requires no brain power, and this distorts the ratio. Also the brain size of animals does not increase at the same rate as body size. However, because cetacean brains function quite differently from the human brain, even if whales had matching body/brain weight ratio to humans, it is not a conclusive indication of high intelligence. Simply, "overall" brain size is not a decisive criterion because it is now known that different parts of the brain regulate different functions, mostly physiological. Hummingbirds have an even higher brain-to-body ratio than humans, as do some dolphins. The next consideration is the structure of the brain. It is generally agreed that the growth of the neocortex, both absolutely and relative to the rest of the brain, during human evolution, has been responsible for the evolution of intelligence, however defined. In most mammals the neocortex has six layers, and its different functional areas (vision, hearing, etc) are sharply differentiated. The whale neocortex, on the other hand, has only five layers, and there is little differentiation of these layers according to function, much like that of some present-day insectivores. This has led some to argue that the whale brain has not significantly evolved since the distant ancestors of the whale took to a marine lifestyle about 50 million years ago. However, even if this is true, it does not follow that this older design of brain is any less efficient. Many people, particularly in the West, believe that cetaceans in general, and whales in particular, are highly intelligent animals. This belief has become one of a central argument against whaling (killing whales for commercial reasons). Proponents of whale and dolphin intelligence cite the social behaviour of whales and dolphins and their apparent capacity for communication as evidence of a sophisticated intellect, though scientists often carefully point out the difference between the social traits and intelligence of animals, which laymen often confuse. Given the radically different environment of whales and humans, and the size of whales compared to dolphins or chimpanzees, for instance, it is extremely difficult to test these views experimentally.

World Range & Habitats

Toothed whales are found in almost every ocean in the world in both coastal and deep waters. Most species do not seem to be territorial, wandering over large areas or great distances along coastlines. They usually live in small groups, or 'pods', although, especially with some species of dolphin, large groups of several hundred animals may occur. Little is known of migratory patterns in these animals.

Baleen whales are also found in oceans worldwide in coast and deeper waters; however, many species of baleen whales tend to prefer the polar oceans where there is a rich abundance of krill. Other species live in tropical and temperate waters and some migrate from tropical to polar waters each year.

Ecology

Though they are the largest of the whales and include the blue whale, the largest animal to ever roam the ocean – or the earth for that matter - baleen whales feed on plankton. They also feed on krill, a tiny shrimp that lives in almost every ocean of the world.

Toothed whales prey on fish and squid. Most species tend to make shallow dives in search of food; however, sperm whales can dive to 3,200 m for as long as 2 hours in search of squid like the giant squid.

Life Histories

Whales are viviparous, meaning that their eggs develop inside the female and the embryo derives nutrition from the mother. Whales usually mate and give birth in the spring, with pregnancies lasting between 12-18 months. Whales don't reach sexual maturity until 7-10 years of age. They reproduce slowly and generally raise one calf every 1-3 years following a 9-18 month gestation period. Their calves are born tail first to keep them attached to the placenta as long as possible to avoid oxygen deprivation and potential drowning. Females care for their young for extended periods of time, often at least one year, feeding them and protecting them from predators. Many whale species are at great risk of becoming endangered or extinct because of their low population numbers and reproductive rates.

Female whales, or cows, nurse their young with milk containing a high concentration of fat. The fat-enriched milk not only contains more calories, it is dense so that it will not dissipate in sea water.

Endangered Status

A bottle-nosed whale swimming up the River Thames, January 2006.

Whales are greatly influenced by their interactions with humans, either directly or indirectly. Drift nets targeting fish species catch anything in their way. including whales, which die as a result of being entangled. Pollutants also collect in the blubber of these animals by a process called biomagnification.

A sperm whale aboard a Japanese "scientific" whaling ship.

The hunting of whales for commercial use has greatly diminished many whale species. Whaling can be traced back to Native Americans who hunted Gray Whales, but large scale whaling didn't occur until the 1600's when Europeans began whaling followed soon after by Americans, who dominated worldwide whaling. Large scale whaling started from open boats where harpoons were used. The blubber was used to make soap and lamp oil and baleen was used as stays for corsets and other garments. Meat and other valuable whale parts were also sold. In the 1800's fast steamships began to be used for whaling and even the faster whales like the Blue and Fin whales couldn't escape the devastating harpoons. The low reproductive potential of these whales caused the whale stocks to be drastically reduced. The first species to be depleted was the Right whale, so named because it was the “right” whale to be killed since it floated after being harpooned. Whaling nations even developed factory ships to process whole carcasses. Blue whales were particularly sought after because there was so much oil, about 9,000 gallons, in an average whale. As the Blue and Right whale populations began to dwindle, whalers moved to the Fin whale and then the smaller Sei whale. The disappearance of commercially profitable whales forced the whalers to move to smaller and therefore less profitable, whale species.

It wasn't until 1972 that the US issued the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which banned the hunting of all marine mammals in US waters and banned the importation of whale products into the US.

The International Whaling Commission, based in Cambridge, England, was established earlier, in 1946, under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling to provide for conservation of whale stocks. The IWC consists of 66 member countries that agree on policies such as: full protection for certain whale species, designation of whale sanctuaries, limits on the numbers and size of whales that may be taken, designation of seasons and areas for whaling, prohibiting the capture of suckling calves and their mothers. The IWC also facilitates whale research and publication of research findings.

In 1986, a moratorium on commercial whaling was enacted by the IWC. Nevertheless, countries such as Iceland, Japan, and Norway continue to take whales above and beyond acceptable catch limits. During the 2005 IWC meeting, Japan announced plans to add Humpback whales to its list of target species in spite of the zero quota established by the IWC for Humpback whales.

A Bryde's whale aboard a Japanese "scientific" whaling ship.

In 1994 the IWC declared a vast sanctuary around Antarctica, the main feeding ground for 80% of the surviving whales, however these waters continue to be exploited by whalers. Though much progress has been made toward the protection of whales, much more is needed.

It is thought that whales are endangered by sonar used by military exercises at sea. It is thought that the whale beachings are often caused by sonar, which damages the inner ears of whales. Mass whale beachings have been observed in many species, primarily in beaked whales that use echolocation systems for deep diving. The U.S. Defense Department was ordered by the US legislative branch to strictly limit use of its Low Frequency Active Sonar during peacetime. The European Parliament has requested that EU members refrain from using the powerful sonar system until an environmental impact study has been carried out.

Whales are in dire need of greater protection to keep their populations levels sustainable. In addition, krill populations, a primary food source for baleen whales, may be declining due to global warming and overfishing. Whether they are driven from safe hunting grounds by human activity, or hunted, blasted by noise, and poisoned by human pollution - whales face more threats than ever. For more information on organizations working to save the whales see: Whales & Dolphin Conservation organizations

 

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