Archives for tag: largest whale on earth

The Incredible But True Horror Story Behind Moby Dick

December 17, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Whale Information commercial whaling, facts about whale hunting, is Moby Dick a true story, largest whale on earth, largest whales, Moby Dick, Mocha Dick, sperm whale, whaling, why do we hunt whales

You may have read or heard about Herman Melville’s book and the whale character named Moby Dick at some point. But did you know the horrific events that followed the sinking of the whaling ship, Essex?

Poster For The 1976 Moby Dick Movie

To most of us, we regard whales as extremely large and docile creatures that have evolved to feed on plankton. These gentle giants swim around in the Earth’s waters and do not harm humans in any way. However, 19th-century literature tells a strange tale; a whale out for revenge.

Could a whale be out there bent on settling an old score?

Whales harbor large complex brains, states Dr. Richard Bevan, a zoologist, and lecturer at Newcastle University. He goes further to add that; a sperm whale can recall incidences of provocation as in harpooning and thus would

Differences Between Sharks And Whales: Which Is A Mammal Or A Fish?

December 6, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Whale Information are whales mammals or fish, baleen whales, blue whale, facts about whales, fin whale, gray whale, humpback whale, largest whale on earth, largest whales, right whale, sei whale, sharks and whales, sperm whale, whale species

Drawing a clear line between Sharks And Whales can get confusing. Learn which is a mammal and which is a fish.

A Whale Shark: Despite being called a Whale Shark and sharing several traits with whales, this creature is a fish not a mammal.

If you are anything like most people, you would have at some point thought sharks and whales, especially the very large species, are similar or even related.

Take the example of the largest sharks and whales, for instance.

The whale shark and the basking shark are filter feeders, so are the grey whales, blue whales, and so on. They are

Humpback Whales Versus Killer Whales: Why Are Humpbacks Saving Seals?

November 24, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Leave a comment Whale Information facts about whales, humpback whale, humpback whales versus killer whales, killer whales, largest whale on earth, largest whales

It’s a Humpback whales versus Killer Whales scuffle. But why are these otherwise gentle whales risking their lives to save seals and other prey from killer whales?

A Killer Whale Hunting A Seal In Antarctica

A marine ecologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) named Robert Pitman was working with an expedition in Antarctica back in 2009 when he noticed something strange in the water.

According to him, a pack of killer whales (orcas) were hunting a Weddell seal and had succeeded in washing it off an ice floe into the water. As usual, the next thing was to go in for the kill. But suddenly, a pair of Humpback whales swam to the scene.

As he watched in surprise, one of the massive mammals flipped onto its back and carried the seal on its enormous belly. Even when the killer whales came closer to claim their prey, the humpback just arched itself upwards and

Can A Whale Swallow A Human Being? Let’s Consider The Facts

November 11, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Whale Information baleen whales, blue whale, can a whale swallow a human being, can a whale swallow people, fin whale, gray whale, Jonah and the whale, largest whale on earth, largest whales, sperm whale, whale species

There’s a very popular story about a whale swallowing a person. But based on science, can a whale swallow a human being?

Jonah And The Whale: Can A Whale Swallow A Human Being?

Jonah and the Whale (1621) By Pieter Lastman (Public Domain)

If you’re anything like many ocean goers, you may have wondered what it would feel like for a whale to swallow you. Especially if you’ve ever seen one of these absolutely massive creatures in real life.

You’d probably think being swallowed by a whale would be one of the most horrible things that could ever

Species Profile: The Sei Whale

October 19, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Species Profile baleen whales, commercial whaling, facts about whale hunting, fin whale, finback whale, humpback whale, largest whale on earth, largest whales, rorqual whale, sei whale, whale conservation status, whale hunting, whale species, whale species profile, whales

The Sei Whale is the fourth largest baleen whale and an endangered species.

Sei Whale Mother With Her Calf (Photo: NOAA)

The Sei Whale is another baleen whale and it’s the fourth largest of them after the Blue Whale, the Fin Whale, and the Humpback Whale.

Although it prefers deeper offshore waters, it’s often sighted in most oceans and adjoining seas.

Typically, its body is colored dark steel gray with irregular light grayish to white markings towards the front of the lower body. The Sei whale’s skin is commonly marked with distinct crater-shaped scars caused by wounds

Species Profile: The Blue Whale

June 13, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Species Profile blue whale, blue whale species, largest whale on earth

The blue whale is so big its tongue weighs about the same as an elephant. These whales were hunted to near extinction in the early 20th century but their numbers are now recording a very slow but steady increase.