The orca (Orcinus orca), also known as the killer whale or Galapagos killer whale, also less commonly known as 'Blackfish' or 'Seawolf', is a member of the infraorder Cetacea and is the largest member of the dolphin family (Delphinidae). It has a black and white patterned body … [Read more...]
Cetaceans
Cetaceans are a large and diverse group of aquatic mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. They are all descendants of land-living animals that returned to the sea millions of years ago.
Cetaceans are highly adapted to life in the water, with streamlined bodies, torpedo-shaped heads, and powerful flippers. They can be divided into two main groups: the toothed whales, which include dolphins and porpoises; and the baleen whales, which include blue whales and humpback whales.
Cetaceans are social creatures that live in pods (groups) of up to several hundred individuals. They communicate using a variety of sounds, and some species are able to use echolocation to navigate and find food.
Whales are the largest cetaceans, and include the blue whale—the largest animal on Earth—and the humpback whale, which can reach up to 18 meters (60 feet) in length.
Dolphins are smaller than whales, and include the well-known bottlenose dolphin, as well as the less familiar Orca (killer whale).
Porpoises are the smallest cetaceans, and include the vaquita, which is the world’s rarest marine mammal.
Cetaceans are found in all oceans of the world, from polar to tropical waters.
They play an important role in the ecosystem, and are a valuable source of food for humans in some cultures. However, they are also threatened by a number of human activities, including hunting, pollution, and entanglement in fishing gear.
Bowhead Whale
Bowhead whales have robust bodies. Bowhead whales are dark-colored whales with no dorsal fin and a strongly bowed lower jaw and narrow upper jaw. Their baleen plates exceed three metres and are the longest of the baleen whales. Baleen plates are used to strain tiny prey from the … [Read more...]
Right Whales
Right Whales are baleen whales belonging to the family 'Balaenidae'. Three right whale species are recognized in the genus 'Eubalaena', while the Bowhead Whale, also a Right whale, is placed in its own genus, 'Balaena'. Right Whales can grow up to 18 metres (60 feet) long and … [Read more...]
Whales
Whales belong to the order Cetacea which has 79 species, including Dolphins, Porpoises and Killer Whales (orcas). The name 'Whale' is quite a confusing term when classifying these large mammals. Some Whales that are called 'Whales' are not actually Whales. It can refer to all … [Read more...]
Bottlenose Dolphins
The Bottlenose Dolphin is the most common and well-known dolphin species. It inhabits warm and temperate seas worldwide and may be found in all but the Arctic and the Antarctic Oceans. Bottlenose Dolphins prefer shallow, inshore waters and are commonly seen off the coasts of … [Read more...]
Commerson Dolphin
Commerson's Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii)Commerson's Dolphin is one of four dolphins in the Cephalorhynchus genus. The species has also the common names Skunk Dolphin and Piebald Dolphin. Commerson's Dolphin has a very distinctive patterning. It has a black head, … [Read more...]
Common Dolphin
The Common Dolphin is the name given to up to three species of dolphin making up the genus Delphinus.The most common of these dolphins are the Long Beaked Dolphin and the Short Beaked Dolphin. The third species (D. tropicalis, common name usually Arabian Common Dolphin), is … [Read more...]
Hectors Dolphin
Hector's Dolphin is also known as the White-headed Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori). The Hector’s dolphin is the most well-known of the four dolphins in the genus Cephalorhynchus. Hector's Dolphin has a sub species called 'Maui's Dolphin' (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui) which is … [Read more...]
Pantropical Spotted Dolphins
The Pantropical Spotted Dolphin (Stenella attenuata) is a species of dolphin found in all the worlds temperate and tropical oceans. This species was beginning to come under threat due to the killing of millions of individuals in tuna purse seines. The 1980s saw the rise of … [Read more...]
Risso’s Dolphin
The Risso's Dolphin (Grampus griseus), sometimes called the gray dolphin, is the only species of dolphin in the genus Grampus. Risso's dolphins are cetaceans found worldwide in temperate and tropical waters, usually in deep waters rather than close to land. As well as the … [Read more...]