whales 101
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WHALES 101
POWERPOINT created by Kristi M. Willis
Photo Credits: Kenneth C. Balcolmb III, Ken Bohn/SEAWORLD, Carpenter family, Bob Cranston/Innerspace Visions, Paul Forestell, John Green, Dan McSweeney, Tony Martin, Planet Earth
Pictures, Greg Spencer, Larry Foster, and Kristi M. Willis.
CETACEAN• From the Latin “cetus,” meaning a
large sea animal
• From the Greek “ketos,” meaning a sea monster
• Taxonomic Order of marine mammals including whales,
dolphins and porpoises
Taxonomic Comparison HUMAN BLUE
WHALE
•KINGDOM: Animalia Animalia
•PHYLUM: Chordata Chordata
•CLASS: MammaliaMammalia
•ORDER: Primates Cetacea
•FAMILY: Hominidae Balaenopteridae
•GENUS: Homo Balaenoptera
•SPECIES: sapiens musculus
Mysticeti vs. Odontoceti
* ~10 recognized species * ~70 recognized species
* 2 blowholes
* females larger than males
* 1 blowhole* males larger than
females* teeth are used to
catch prey, but not for chewing
* age determined by counting growth layers in waxy ear plug
* age determined by counting growth layers in teeth
the baleen whales the toothed whales
* baleen plates act as a sieve to strain organisms from the water
* undertake lengthy migrations
between distinct breeding and feeding
grounds
* make smaller seasonal movements (inshore-offshore)
Basic Anatomy
Rostrum 2 blowholes
Caudal fin or “fluke”
Pectoral fin
Baleen plates
Throat pleats
of a mysticete
Dorsal fin
MYSTICETESBaleen plates hang from upper jaw only and vary in size,
color and shape. Gray whales have creamy-colored baleen.
Right whales have black baleen plates.
Baleen is made of keratin – same protein as human hair and fingernails! This is a
humpback’s open mouth.
Crustaceans called “KRILL” are a major food source for many of the world’s
mysticetes.
Here’s a look at open blowholes…
…and here’s what they look like closed.
Migaloo: the world’s only known albino humpback whale
Migaloo “breaches” and offers a rare look at his all-
white body.
Basic Anatomyof an odontocete
Dorsal fin
1 blowhole Rostrum
Pectoral fins
Caudal fin or “fluke”
Teeth
ODONTOCETESTeeth come in all shapes and sizes, too. These are the conical shaped teeth of a killer whale.
Here is the single open blowhole of a
bottlenose dolphin.
And let’s not forget the“Unicorn of the Sea”
the arctic Narwhal
Dolphins vs. Porpoises
• Prominent beak and melon• Longer, more sleek bodies• More tapered pectoral fins• Cone-shaped teeth
• No true beak and melon is streamlined
• Short, stocky bodies• Blunt pectoral fins• Spade-shaped teeth
…so what IS the difference, anyway?!
Sperm Whale
Bottlenose Dolphin
Harbor Porpoise
Stejneger’s Beaked Whale
Baird’s Beaked Whale
Teeth are uniform
throughout a cetacean’s
mouth because they are not
specialized for purposes of
chewing. They are strictly for
catching prey or tearing flesh.
Food is swallowed
whole.
Whale Camp,Grand Manan Island
Highest & Lowest Tidal Range
Investigating local ecosytems
The carnivorous “Pitcher Plant” in the bog
One of the Bay of Fundy’s impressive
inverts!
Visiting a Puffin nesting colony
Razorbills nest there, too.
So do the Common Murres…
…and Terns also.
Watching a Harbor Porpoise dissection
And let’s not forget the WHALES!
Distinctive V-shaped blow of a Right Whale
Flukes are entirely cartilagenous.
North Atlantic Right Whales are critically endangered
Mottled belly of a female suggests male suitors are
courting beneath the surface.
They are positively buoyant so they need to thrust their flukes out of the water in
order to make a dive.
San Ignacio Lagoon, Baja Mexico
Winter breeding and calving grounds for the Gray Whale
Mother and calf
An encounter with the “Friendly Whale Syndrome”
that’s me!
“Valentina” was a favorite.
Close-up of whale lice and barnacles on Gray
Whale’s skin
Collecting “treasures” on the beach
Whale Camp
www.whalecamp.com
1-888-54-WHALE
San Ignacio Lagoon
www.bajadiscovery.com
1-800-829-2252
Kristi M. Willis
7th Grade ScienceGreat Neck South Middle
Schoolkwillis@greatneck.k12.ny.us
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