Whales and dolphins belong to the order known as Cetacea.
Cetaceans consists of three groups of marine mammals which include whales, dolphins and porpoises.
All three species share many of the same characteristics as land mammals including:
- The need to breathe air
- being warm-blooded
- giving birth
- producing milk
- Having hair (not all species have hair)
Out of all of the worlds existing mammals whales happen to be some of the largest living animals on earth.
In fact the blue whale can measure in at more than 100 ft. and weigh over 150 tons!
The killer whale (actually a dolphin) is the largest known living mammal that hunts and eats other mammals.
All species of Cetacea are broken down into two suborders known as baleen whales and toothed whales.
Baleen whales are whales that are born with baleen plates instead of teeth.
These majestic animals are generally larger than their toothed whale counterparts, but are usually less aggressive when it comes to hunting for food.
Baleen whales hunt using a technique known as filter feeding in which they swim towards their prey with their mouth open and engulf large amounts of water along with their prey, which usually consists of fish, krill, crustaceans and shrimp.
They then expel the water from their mouth by pushing it out with their tongue while leaving their food trapped in their baleen bristles which are often said to resemble the teeth found on a comb.
Toothed whales on the other hand are born with teeth which they can use to bite, grab and tear apart their prey.
All species of dolphin and porpoise also belong to this suborder.
Not all species of toothed whale are known for using their teeth to eat their prey.
Some species use their teeth primarily for self-defense or to show aggression but don’t actually use their teeth for eating.
These whales, dolphins and porpoises use a variety of hunting methods which vary depending on the species.
Some marine mammals hunt alone while others travel together in large pods using complex group oriented techniques to detain their prey.
Killer whales for instance hunt in well structured pods and will encircle a group of fish and herd them into a ball then stun the fish by slapping the water with their flukes and take turns darting in and eating the petrified fish.
Toothed whales are also capable of using echolocation to hunt for food and navigate the ocean, a technique scientists are still questioning amongst baleen whales.
While some species show promise in being able to use echolocation it is unclear whether or not this is common amongst the baleen whale suborder or just possible amongst a few baleen whales.
Baleen whales are known for using deep low-frequency tones and notes to communicate with one another.
A few species are also known for creating deep melodic sounds known as whale songs.
Toothed whales on the other hand communicate using a series of high frequency clicks and whistles and are able to determine which whale is talking by observing differences in frequency among the various whales, even in large pod sizes.
Gestation periods (the period from conception to birth) can last anywhere from 10 – 18 months depending on the species.
After birth occurs the mother feeds her young by producing milk from her mammary glands which the child suckles from her nipple.
While there is no exact age at which all cetaceans mature they generally mature between the ages of 5 – 20 years depending on the species.
Due to the fact that whales are generally too large to be kept in captivity most of what is known about the intelligence of the cetacean species comes from dolphins.
Dolphins are a highly intelligent species capable of learning complex tricks and memorizing individual patterns.
They have been seen performing acrobatic stunts at many different aquatic shows and have even been used by the military to locate bombs or missing people.
Dolphins are also capable of self recognition and when looking into a mirror they have been observed looking for markings placed on their body.
Whales and dolphins are amazing animals capable of memorization, self recognition and developing complex social structures and cultures.
No wonder they fascinate so many people.