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.

SUH-TAY-SHUNS !!

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