Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises Whales, dolphins and porpoises are cetaceans (Class Mammalia, Order Cetacea) Of all the marine mammals, cetaceans (and sirenians) have made the most complete transition to aquatic life Spend their entire lives in the water The bodies of cetaceans are streamlined and look remarkably fish-like; an example of convergent evolution

Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises Blubber provides cetaceans with insulation Cetacean nostrils are on top of the head, forming a single, or double opening called the blowhole

Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises There are ~90 species of cetaceans All are marine, except for 5 species of freshwater dolphins Cetaceans are divided into two groups: Toothed whales – includes dolphins & porpoises Baleen whales; toothless, filter-feeding whales Photos property of the Riverhead Foundation

Cetaceans: Toothed Whales The majority of cetaceans are toothed whales Toothed whales use their teeth only to catch and hold prey, not to chew it Toothed whales have a single blowhole (one opening) on the top of their head Though they are all whales, most of the small toothed whales are called dolphins or porpoises Photo property of the Riverhead Foundation

Is it a dolphin or a porpoise? The six species of porpoises are blunt-nosed whales, having flattened teeth The many more species of dolphins possess a distinctive snout or ‘beak’ and have conical teeth Porpoise (Family Phocenidae) Dolphin (Family Delphinidae)

The Toothed Whale Whales The toothed “whales” include the sperm whale, beluga, pilot whales, beaked whales, and orca, each divided into their own families

A bottlenose whale? Yes!

Echolocation

Baleen Whales Toothless whales are best known as baleen whales Instead of teeth, they have rows of flexible plates, or baleen, which hang down from the upper jaws Baleen is made of keratin The inner edge of each plate consists of hair-like bristles that overlap and form a dense mat

Baleen whales

Baleen Whales

Baleen Whales Baleen whales are characterized not only by their baleen, but by the double opening of their blowholes (double blowhole) Photo property of the Riverhead Foundation

Humpback whales:

Biome Humpback whales live in all oceans but are uncommon in artic regions. During summer months they migrate to higher altitudes.

Description Dark gray to black on their backs white patterns on their stomach. Chunky, Heavy bodied They can weigh 30-40 tons. They are usually 30-60 feet in length. Robust body Fewer throat grooves Dorsal fin that varies in shape and size Very long white flippers Knob- like bumps on head and snout each holding 1 hair Size related to a bus:

Diet Humpback whales are omnivores. They will eat: Tiny shrimplike krill Plankton Small fish

Young (Offspring) Baby humpback whales are called calves. (calf) They are 15 feet at birth. Humpback whales calf every year. Sometimes about 2-3 years. Births between January and March Gestation takes 11-12 months Nurses for about 1 year Don’t stop growing until 10 years old

Predators Humpback whales have only 1 predator, humans.

There is an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 left. Remaining Population Status: Endangered There is an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 left.

Reasons It’s Endangered Humpback whales are endangered because of: Whale Hunting (Humans) Getting tangled in fishing equipment. Collisions with ships Acoustic disturbance Habitat degradation

Conservation Measures Humpback whales gained protection in 1962 through the International Whaling Commission. Since then they have shown signs of recovery in the North Atlantic.

Fun Facts Humpback whales have 2 blowholes. The hotline number for reporting stranded animals is (631)369-9829 They do vocalizations to communicate with each other. Female Humpback Whale helping calf to the surface.

Vocalizations Humpback whales communicate by doing vocalizations.