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...]
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.
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 … [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...]
Galapagos Minke Whale
The minke whale, also known as lesser rorqual, is a complex species of baleen whale. There are two species of minke whale; the common minke whale (also known as the northern minke whale) (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and the Antarctic minke whale (or southern minke whale) … [Read more...]
Galapagos Short Finned Pilot Whale
The short finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) is one of the two species of pilot whale. They are a cetacean in the genus Globicephala, which it shares with the long-finned pilot whale. Short-finned pilot whales are part of the oceanic dolphin family Delphinidae … [Read more...]
Galapagos Sperm Whale
The Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is the largest of all toothed whales and is the largest toothed animal alive, measuring up to 18 metres (60 feet) long. Sperm Whales can regularly be seen in the Galapagos waters. The Sperm whale was named after the milky-white waxy … [Read more...]
Harbour Porpoise
The harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), also spelt harbor porpoise, is one of eight extant species of porpoise. It is one of the smallest cetacean in the sea. As its name implies, it stays close to coastal areas or river estuaries and as such is the most familiar porpoise to … [Read more...]
Blue Whale
The Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) grows up to 33 metres (110 feet) in length and weighs 200 tons or more in weight. The Blue Whale is believed to be the largest animal to have ever lived. The last sighting of Blue whales was in the San Salvador channel, off Puerto Egas, … [Read more...]