Archives for tag: whale species profile

Species Profile: The Pygmy Sperm Whale

December 20, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Species Profile dwarf sperm whale, facts about whale hunting, facts about whales, pygmy sperm whale, sperm whale, whale species, whale species profile, whale stranding

The Pygmy Sperm Whale is a very rare and relatively small-sized species of whale.

A Stranded Pygmy Sperm Whale On South Hutchinson Beach In Florida (Photo: Inwater Research Group, cc by-s.a. 4.0)

The Pygmy Sperm Whale is one of the three species of toothed whales in the sperm whale family. These creatures are rarely ever sighted at sea and most of what’s known about them is gathered from examining stranded individuals.

Just like its close cousin the dwarf sperm whale, the pygmy is a relatively small-sized whale. In fact, it’s not much

Species Profile: The Dwarf Sperm Whale

December 8, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Species Profile dwarf sperm whale, facts about whales, pygmy sperm whale, sperm whale, whale species, whale species profile, whale stranding, whaling

The Dwarf Sperm Whale is one of only two cetacean species that can eject “ink” to scare off would-be predators.

A Dwarf Sperm Whale Breaching (Photo: Robert Pitman/NOAA)

The Dwarf Sperm Whale is one of only three surviving species in the sperm whale family. These creatures are very rarely sighted out at sea, so the much that’s known about them is gathered from studying stranded carcasses.

This species holds the position of the smallest in size of true whales. At the most they will grow up to 2.7 m (8.9 ft) in length. Hence, they are even smaller than some dolphin species.

They prefer clam and quiet seas where they spend their days making slow movements while lying motionless at

Species Profile: The Common Bryde’s Whale

November 16, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Species Profile baleen whales, bryde's whale, Eden's whale, facts about whale hunting, facts about whales, fin whale, largest whales, sei whale, whale species, whale species profile

The Common Bryde’s Whale is a baleen whale known for being inquisitive about humans. Out in the ocean, they will approach boats and swim along side them.

Species Profile: The Common Minke Whale

November 7, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Species Profile antarctic minke whale, baleen whales, blue whale, common minke whale, facts about whales, fin whale, humpback whale, largest whales, northern minke whale, sei whale, whale conservation status, whale hunting, whale species, whale species profile, whales, whaling

The Common Minke Whale is the smallest in its suborder and is known for “human watching.”

The Common Minke Whale is one of two species of minke whales both within the suborder of baleen whales.

This whale is the second smallest in size among the baleen whales. The pygmy right whale is the only one that’s smaller. It has a blackish-gray and sometimes purple color with white underbelly. A white band on each flipper distinguishes the common minke whales from others of its kind.

The common minke whale was initially ignored by commercial whalers during the whaling era because of its

Species Profile: The Fin Whale

November 2, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Species Profile blue whale, bryde's whale, fastest whale, fin whale, gray whale, greyhound of the sea, rorqual whale, sei whale, whale conservation status, whale hunting, whale species profile, whaling

Despite being one of the largest whales alive today, the Fin Whale is also one of the fastest cetaceans in the Earth’s waters.

Fin Whale In The Kenai Fjords Near Resurrection Bay, Alaska (Photo: Lori Mazzuca/WikiMedia Commons, cc by-s.a. 2.5)

The Fin Whale or finback whale is a baleen whale and the second largest creature on Earth; second only to the Blue Whale.

This remarkable creature is unique in a number of ways. For one thing they produce the lowest frequency vocalization of any whale. They produce sounds as loud as 188 decibels but the frequency is so low that humans can’t hear it.

In addition, though so large, this whale is sleek and built for speed. American naturalist Roy Chapman Andrews

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 Gray Whale

October 4, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Species Profile blue whale, commercial whaling, critically endangered whales, facts about whale hunting, fin whale, gray whale, humpback whale, right whale, whale hunting, whale species profile, whales, whaling, why do we hunt whales

The Gray Whale resisted capture so much that whalers named it “Devilfish.”

A Gray Whale In Captivity (Photo: Marine Mammal Commission/Wikimedia. Public Domain)

The Gray Whale is a medium-sized baleen whale and the only surviving member of its genus and family. This species is a migratory animal that travels annually between its feeding and breeding grounds.

These whales have a hump and a ridge of sharp bumps running down their backs rather than a dorsal fin. They also prefer to stay close to shore – feeding in shallow waters.

The common name, Gray Whale, comes from the contrasting gray patches and white mottling on its dark colored skin. The white patches are the result of barnacles and lice that have attached themselves to the whales’ skins. In

Species Profile: The Cuvier’s Beaked Whale

August 17, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Species Profile Cuvier's beaked whale, whale species profile, whale stranding

The Cuvier’s Beaked Whale is a truly cosmopolitan mammal known for frequent stranding.

Cuvier’s Beaked Whale. (Courtesy: R.W. Baird/Cascadia Research Collective)

The Cuvier’s Beaked Whale is one of the smaller whale species and it’s widely distributed in most oceans and seas worldwide.

Though it’s so widely distributed, it prefers deep waters. As a result, not much is known about it except what researchers can gather by studying stranded individuals. Strangely, this species tends to strand more often than any of the other species of beaked whales.

Like other beaked whales, it has a cigar-shaped body and is often mistaken for other mesoplodont whales (a genus of toothed whales) at sea.

Species Profile: The Beluga Whale

August 8, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Species Profile beluga whale, narwhal, whale species profile

The Beluga Whale is one intriguing creature! Though it’s one of the smallest whales, it stands out everywhere.

Closeup Of A Beluga Whale Showing The Round “Melon” On Its Forehead. (Courtesy: premier.gov.ru cc by 4.0)

From the very first glance, the Beluga Whale stands out with its stark white color and friendly appearance.

This species is an Arctic and Sub-Arctic cetacean. Often called the white whale, the beluga shares the same family with the narwhal.

Its adaptation to life in the frigid waters of the Arctic means it has evolved several anatomical and physiological characteristics different from other cetaceans. For instance, its body has a high proportion of blubber, it lacks a dorsal fin, and has a stark all-white body color.

Also, its sharp sense of hearing and echolocation enables it move about under ice yet it can quickly find blowholes under the ice covering so it can breathe.

Species Profile: The Narwhal

July 27, 2017 Roselyn Onuche Species Profile beluga whale, narwhal, narwhale, whale species profile

Learn all about the Narwhal. This medium-sized whale has a tooth growing right through its lip.

An Illustration Of A Narwhal.

The Narwhal is a medium-sized toothed whale that belongs to the Monodontidae family. The only other member of this family is the Beluga whale.

Narwhals are easily distinguishable by one unique feature: males of the species, and even a few females, have a large “tusk” that protrudes out of their mouth. In fact, this tusk is an “overgrown” canine tooth that pierces through the left side of their lip.

This spiral-shaped tusk was once touted in past centuries as a unicorn’s horn and sold as such to unsuspecting buyers!