Whales and Other Marine Mammals - A Golden Guide

8/3/2019 Whales and Other Marine Mammals - A Golden Guide

1/164

. G U


2/164

Complete your c lection ofGolden Guies an Golden Fiel Guies!

BIRDS BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS

DINOSAURS FISHE FISHNG FLOWERS

FOSSLS GEOLOGY INDIAN ARS

NSEC PESS INSECTS MAMMLS PLANETS

POND LFE REPIES AND AMPHIBINS

ROCKS AND MNERALS

SEASHELLS OF THE ORLD

SEASHORES SKY OBSEVER'S GUIDE

SPIDERS AND THE KN STARS TREESTROPCAL FISH VNOMOUS ANIMALS

WETHE WEEDS

WHALES AND OHE MANE MAMMALS

BIRDS OF NORH AMECA

REPILES OF NORTH AMERCA

OCKS AND MINERALS

SASHELLS OF NOH AMERICA

SKYGUIDE

ES O NOH AMCA

WILDFOWES OF NORTH AMERCA

FAMILIES OF BRDS

Golden", A Golden Guide' ad Golden Press"ae trademarks of Weser Pblshing Company, Inc.


3/164

WHALESAN OTHER MARINE MMMALS

CT ustrated by

BARBR HOOPES MBLR I 1.

'

GOLDENPRESS NWYORK" Western PublishingCompany, Inc.

Racine, Wsconsin


4/164

RER

Inees n mane mammas n pas cenu es concene

many he commeca vaue any wee avese soeavly fo mea, es, u, o , an oe poucs hahey ae now se amon e wo s enanee speces .See s Sea Cow was sauhee no encon by 68

n ecen yeas has been scovee a ese mammals ank amon e mos ne l en of a l an mals eaes ae enle ans many ave effecve means ofcommun can w eac ohe, an many a e emaab lyespons ve a n As a oup, ey ae nee amone mos nees of a ceaues on an o n he sea.hey ave capue e aenon an affeon of peopeeveywee, even hose who have neve seen o w l nevesee hem n e aual hab a.

hs boo s a bef suvey of e mao oups anspeces of mane mammas On y a fament of h s fascnan subec ca be ouce upon n a m e space, buhese paes pon he way o ean n moe

peca anks ae ue Babaa J oopes mbe ohe man cen a, D Vncen B. cheffe fo ea n e

manusp an mak n cea n was on couse, an Cao ne Geenbe, emo Cosenno, an eny Flesh fohe epe enneen fom sa o f n sh .

GS

990 esern Publshng ompany Inc I l lusraons

990 Barar

J HoopesAmbler A ghs reserved ncludng rghs of reproducon and u se n a ny form or by

any means ncludng he makng of copes by any phoo process or by any elecronc ormechanca devce pned or wen or oral or recordng for sound or vsual repoducon o for use n any knowledge rereval sysem or devce unless permsson n wrng sobaned from he copyr

ht popreor Produced n he U. S A y esern Publshngompany Inc Pubshed y Golden Press New Yor NY Lbray of ongress aaogard Number: 890 36 IS BN 0307207


5/164

CES

MARIN MAMALS........................................................ ..... ... 4

WHALS, DOLPHINS, AND PORPOISS................. .................. 6How cetaceans developed. The way cetaceans breathe. Howcetaceans give birth. The senses of cetaceans. The way cetaceansseep. How cetaceans swim. Mgratory journey s o cetaceans. Thewhaling industry. The need or conservaton. Te training o marinemammals in captivity. Looking out or the interests o cetaceans.

BALN WHALS ........................................................... 34Right Whales... ..................................................................... 6

Rorquals, or Fin Whales ........................... Gray Whales

OOHD W ALS ............................................... ............ 54Beaked Whales .. Sperm Whaes..... 6Narwha and White Whae 66Porpoises. Dophins 6

River Dolhins........... . 96MANAS AND DUGONG .................................................. 100

Manatees.............. . Dugong Steer's Sea Cow.. 6

SA LONS, WALRUSS, AND SALS ................ ......... ... ..... 108Ear as..

Walruses aress Seals ...... 8

CARNVORS .. .. . .. . .. . . . . ... .... .. ... . ... .... . .. . .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. 144Otters, Weasels, and Their Kin.. . Bears.................... 8

WHL WTCNG ................... .................................. 12

ANIMAL WLR ORGANZTONS .............................. 154

RN L XHBS ............................................... . 16

MOR INORMAON ................................................. 157

SCNC NMS ..................................... .. :............... 158

DX .................... .... ................... ............................. 159


6/164

MARE MAMMAS

bout 1 0 of the moe than 4,000 speces of mammals

lve n the sea. hese ae the cetaceans (whales, olphns,an poposes ) , the p nn pes {sea ons , waluses , ansea s) , the s enans {manatees an Duon, an o canvoes (the Sea Otte an the Pola Bea). he pncpalspeces n each goup, shown n t he fam ly tee of mamma ls , ae escbe an l ustate n h s book ll ma ne

mammals, even those so fshl ke n appeaance that theywee once beleve to be fsh, shae featues that makethem membes of the class Mammal a .

l l mammals ae wamblooethat s , the boytempeatue s euate ntenally an s nepenent ofthe envonment. he young ae cae nenally by thefemale an noushe thouh an umbl cal co unt l the

bth. hey ae then suckle (fe on mlk) fom the mothe's mammay lans Mane mammals also possess ha,whch s as unque to mammals as feathes ae to bs.Some ma ne mamma ls , suc h as the Sea Otte, Pola Bea,an seveal pnnpes, have thck fu. Othes, such as the

4


7/164

cetaceans an sienians, ae covee with hai uing an

ealy stage of eveloment but have a th ck h e an onl ya scattei ng of bistles as au ltsL ike thei lanwel l ing elat ives, maine mammals have

lungs an must beathe ai Whaes, some of which aecaable of iving moe than a mle e an can emainsubmege fo an ho u o longe, must nevetheless su faceto elenish thei oygen hei bloo is ciculte by an

eff ic ient fouchambee heat (F ish, in comaison, getthei oygen i ectly fom the wate by mean s of g i l s, anthei lesseffic ient heat has only o chambes ) he ba i no f maine mammal s is age an wel leveloe in contastto the ba i n of lowe classes of mamma ls


8/164

plvic girdle (rudmentry)

blubber

HALES PHS A PRPSES

Orer Ceacea

Al l of he ceaceans, which oa l appomaely species,

ae eclusively aquaic, moe compeely so han ae anyohe mammals . A no sae of l i fe o hey leave he wae.Ceaceans ane n sie fom he anic Blue Whale, heaes ceaue ha has eve eise, o mei um se o phins an popoises, some of which ae ony s l ihly moehan 3 fee lon. Typica lly a ceacean 's hea is jo ine o isboy wiou a isinc neck. Ecep in a few species, he

ea canno be une inepenen y Chaace is ic ofmammals , howeve, ceaceans o possess seven neck veebae, ouh much compesse. In some of he laewhales ese ae fuse in o a sn le sc only a few i nchesh ck .

6


9/164

A ceacean's body s seamlned, o spndeshape,and n some speces he head may be eended no a"beak any kns have a efn e dosal f n cons s n ofa hck folded de of skn whou a bony suppo hsfeaue adds o he enea f sh l ke appeaance

ceacean's on les ae l ppes, w h no epose claws ods A much educe bony sucue o a pelv c le ss l l n evence nenal ly, bu eenal h n mbs ae lackn he a l , wh ch povdes he pncpa l dv n foce foswmmn, s eended no a boad hoonal appendae, sepaaed no o flukes by a noch n he md ehe h n s k n lacks ha s ecep fo a few bsles aound he

ouh and on he bel ly n some speces Undeneah heskn s a h ck laye o bl ubbe (mosly a) ha seves as ahea nsulao as well as a foo eseve Blubbe may be fee h ck n some of he lae whales and may accoun fomoe han 40 pecen of he an mal 's oa l weh

7


10/164

CECENS VElPE from mammals hat ve on lan,the r return to the sea commenc ng perhaps 60 m l l onyears ago Foss l evence s scarce, an so the precse

an compete pcu re of cetacean evoluton rema ns a b t ofa mysteryhe sea has notable avantages over a lan habat

For one th ng, foo s more plenfu an eas l y obta nablehe sea s also a more unform envronmen, lackng helarge an suen sh ts n temperature that commonyoccur on l an

An eary seawe l ng cetacean name Basi/saurus st l ha feau res mar k ng t as c lose ly re la te to th e an wellers Some 60 feet long, t ha an eceptonally longta l that mae t so snakel ke t was f rst cass fe as a rept e Its hn legs ha alreay sappeare, bu ts sor,fl pperl ke fron legs term nate n fve g ts he nostr , or

bowhole, was not yet centrally locate on the top o thehea h s unusua l seawel l ng mammal , now et nct ,

8


11/164


12/164

CCN RHS IR throu nostri l s locate on thevery top of ts heaone openn (or bowhole) i n toothewhales , o blowholes in te ba leen wha les . he blowhole

is close by valves when the cetacean oes beneah thesurface. Since there is no open connection between thenasal passaes an the mouth as there is in other mammal s, whales, olph in s, an porpoi ses can take water intothei r mouth with no aner of havin it et into thei r l uns.

he instant a whale or other cetacean reaches the surface, the blowhole is eposed to the air an opene. heanimal immeiately ehales, or "blows." he heate air,uner pressure an fil le with water vapor, blasts ino thecooler air of the atmosphere where it conenses ino thecharacteristic "spout." In lare whales, the spou may riseo more tan 0 feet

"har she blows" was the jubi lant cry of wha ers on the

ookout for the i r qua rry Eperience whalers coul ienti

5 f


13/164

the kin of whale an is sze by the shape and heght ofthe spout Whal e watches toay can ient i fy not on lyspeces bu t in ivual s by thei spouts

Some cetaceans can hol the beath fo longe thanan hou The i vey lage lu ng s ae stetche thoughout thefu l l length of thei capacious abominal cavity an aeivie into as many as thee tmes moe aiholing sacs(alveol i ) than ae the ungs of lanwel l ing mammals Ofequa mpotance is the fact that a cetacean can empty itsimmense lungs moe complete ly than can lanwel l ingmammal s an then epleni sh them quickly with a fesh sup-ply of a . In ait ion, the emoglobin (e pigment) n acetacean's bloo has a geate capacity fo hoing oy-gen than oes the hemoglobin of lanwell ing mammals.ll of the openi ngs to the espi atoy systeminclu ing theblowholes an the bonchial tubescan be tighly shut by

muscles


14/164

CECENS GIVE IRH a sea. ypically only one calf isorn occas ional ly bu rarey here are ins . I n he arerspecies, here is a lapse of o years afer he birh of he

calf before he cow can bear aa i n . I n mos cases, he cal fis born a i l fi rs . As soon as he umbi l ica l cor breaks, heyoun cal mus e o he surface for i s fi rs breah o a i r. can swim immeiaely, bu ofen he moher ives i aboos in he rih i recion on h is firs an h ihly imporan rip . She wi l l suppor he calf a he surface uni l i i s ful lyajuse o is suen inepenence rom he womb Unilhis momen i has been warme by he mohers amnioicflu i bu now i is i n he col sea .

Clvs usully n l s

1 2


15/164

NursngBaleen whale mohers nurse heir calves for abou simonhs o a year oohe whales nurse for a year an ahalf o wo years A calf suckles uner he waer as hemoher swims alon s lowly Each mammary lan, onelocae on he rih an one on he lef us ahea of hea i l , is h ien in a pocke o skin he ni ppes are erue

by muscles urin nu rsin Mi lk is pouce in he lans an he in reservoirs

When he ca l f beins o suckle, he moher forces he mi l kou quickly his shorens he ime require for sucklin soha he youn can e back o he surface o breah Aceacean's m i l k is very richabou en imes h iher in ca lo -

ries han cow's m il k he cal f es ample enery o susa i nis rapi early growh A baby Blue Whale, for eample,may oub le i s we igh i n as shor a ime as a week {uman babies , by compar i son , oub le he i r weih inrouhly four monhs )

1 3


16/164

SENSES F CECENS eveope o mee he emansof he aquac hab a. I n proporon o her boy se, foreampe, ceaceans' eyes are small, poece from he salwaer by a way secreon he r vson s oo bu s no ah h y mporan sense . Ceaceans have oa l y los he

sense of smel .Alhouh a ceacean lacks eerna ears, s hearn s

acue. ca n eec souns for hunres o f m les n he sea .Al l ceaceans em souns for commun caon an some fornaviaion as we e souns are prouce in e nasalpassaeways, no by e layn. e "melon" of e perm

Whale (p. 54) focuses or beams he souns us as a ensfocuses lh.

Cuica

he souns vary wh he speces, bu n eneral heyare prouce a o frequency level s. ouns mae a lowfrequency may be hear by people as squeaks, runs,

cl c ks, or whs les hese noses are use when he an mal sare "alkn o each oher. he haer i s connuous whenhe anmas are swimmn in a roup. he frequency ofhese souns s ypca ly no hiher han 1 5,000 cycles persecon, bu hey may be even lowe han 1 ,000 cycles,

1 4


17/164

Cetaeans dent objets undewa by ehooaton.

boh wel l wih i n he ane of human heai n he hauninma n sons of he male Humpback Whale a e a hi s fequency, an ineesnly, he males vay hei sons fomyea o yea Someimes a male will sin fo 20 hous olone, wi h bief sops only fo beahi n Ae hey si n in

wha females mos l ke o hea?Echlcan

Anohe ype of soun beins a a fequency of abou20,000 cyces pe secon, bu hs is mosly beyon heane of human hea in, which ens a abou 25,000cycles ome souns have been ecoe a fequenceshihe han 00,000 cycles pe secon hese hihfequency souns, iven off in sho pulses, "echo" back ohe an imal fom any objecs in hei suounins heechoes el l h e ceacean whee o fin foo an a l so ue owa o away fom objecs his echolocaion sysem,sm l a o ha use by bas an sonaequ ppe sh ps, is

emakably accuae A ceacean c an eemine n o onlyhe sie an sance of objecs bu also he shape ansucu e is bel ieve ha m iai n Bowhea Whales a euie aoun ce obsucions by scou whales avelinm les ahea of h e he

1 5


18/164

MS CECENS SLEEP occasiona y while f oaing closeo he surface. Th i s is cal le "oggi ng . " As long as he opof he hea is above he surface, hey can coninue obreahe wh il e s leeping wih no anger of rown ing . Some

of he arger whales seep so sounly ha ships run inohem or hey rif ino shal lows. Dophns an porpoisesseem o ake frequen ress an naps bu appareny nevego ino eep sleep.

SIMMING i n ceaceans is accompl i she by upan own

movemens of he broa hoizona l f lu kes, he boy movingl le from sie o s ie. Thi s i s in conras o f ish, in whichhe a i l moves from sie o sie an , for he majori y (parcuarly he fas swimmers}, he boy suppies mos of hepower fo swimming . Fish u i ize he r sie fin s for seering .Ceaceans seer by sh if ing he pla ne a whi ch heir f lukesmove hrough he waer, hough he pae ike f l ippersassis in seering an al so in balanci ng .

Mos of h e a rge whaes crui se a 4 o 5 m i les pe r hour.For shor isances hey may accelerae o 20 mies pehour, a few going even faser, bu hey o no ma n a i n h i sspee or ong . Many o he olph ins an porpoi ses, however, swim a 20 or even 30 miles per hour fo shor peri

os of ime.

imming poer is from up-an-on movement of broa flukes.

1 6


19/164

Migation ou of e Gay Whae

MIGRIN Many cetaceans make long migatoy jouneys beeen feeing an beeing aeas. Best known ofthe migants ae the giant whales that wee the quest ofwhales . hese huntes ha to know whee to look fowhales in each season. ey knew that the big whalesspent the i wi ntes in wa m o tempeate wates , then

etune to coole wates in summe. hese tips took thewhales thousans of mi les i n a yea.he g iant baleen whales fn the i foo a least 0 times

moe plentiful i n the coole wates than i n wame seas . Abig Blue Whale, fo eample, can stuff its stomach with asmuch as 4 to 8 tons of ki l l (smal l sh impl i ke custaceans)pe ay, i n th is way bu il i ng a eseve of enegy, stoe asblubbe, fo is mon ths of fasting on the beei ng g ouns .Most of the whal es take thei t ips in goups pos o gams)mae up of fam i l ies, an they tavel to an fom the samegenea l a eas of the sea yea afte yea

1 7


20/164

HLES ERE KILE fo subsisence by Esimos anoe soewelles n ealy imes he peope ae whaemea an blubbe, use he oi l as fuel fo cooin an

ihin, an mae mplemens an ecoaive objecs fomhe eeh an bones Cenuies ao whal in became anmpoan maiime inusy, bu moen whalin mehosul imaely eceee the capaciy of whales o epenishhemseves A numbe of whale species ae now nea

Ne ngan aes unting off te coast of Haaii ae son in

tis 19t-century pint


21/164

exico effec, the whalig iustry pu isef ou obusess by becomig oo effice a oo greey

Some chroiclers say he firs Europea whaers were

he Norwega s, bu mos cre i he Spa ia s wh magwha l g a bus ess Soo he Du ch a he Eg l i sbecame comme rc a l wha e r s , oo Wha l i g was a l soimpora for ceures Japa

Soo a fer he seg o f Norh Americ , whal g flees


22/164

from the Americas began to nvade the seas In the mid1800s, he Unted States' whaling fleet conssted of about750 vessels, more than ice as many as the vessel s of a l l

other countries combinedNantucket , New Bedford, Gloucester Marblehead,Provincetown, New London, Southampton , a nd man othertowns on the eas coast of the Un ited States were buil t pi-mari ly around the whaling industry Fortunes were madeby some of the whale hunters and by those who merchandised whale products. Whalers took whatever whae waswith in sr ik ing dis tance of the ir harpoons, but the mostsough t after were Bowhead, R ight, Humpback, Sperm, andBlue whales

These flensing tools and harpoons were used by early whalers.

20


23/164

iin hapoons fom uns an cannons bean about 1868

ha ing was a most dangerous and adventuresomeenterprise. In the eary days, whaes were hunted fromshoe stat ions halers s ighted the an imals that came

close to th e coast and then set out i n sma boats to chasethem for the k i hen the h unters were cose enough , theythrew the heavy, sharp harpoon by hand, then attachedropes to k i ed or exhausted an ima s and towed them backto shore for process ing

haes were aso hunted in the open sea with argervesse s Struck whaes somet imes managed to caps ieboas, h i tti ng them wi th thei r broad , powerfu fukes in the irstrugges to ge t free Later, harpoons were fi red from canno ns , and the i r ti ps were fitted with exposives

haes were doomed when whaers took to the opensea in huge factory ships and feets of fast, smaer boats

2 1


24/164

tat i te ob of ki ing and towing the catch Airanesand eicopters were aso empoyed to ocate the whaesand gu ide the whaers to thei r quarry No whae was too

arge to be kied or processed No wa e was safe anywhere No thought was given to conservation The industrywas rued by greed

hoe wha es cou be aken aboard on s ipways at thestern of factory sips They were immediaely butcheredwith modern, mechanied equipment, and the products

were refrigerated or rendered for oi The shi then continued on its saughter route ith whaes nearing extermina

Moden walng ss not ony destoed te whaes, but aso tendusty.


25/164

ion in the Northern Hemisphere, the facory ships concentrated in Anarctic waters whee the job of destructon waseventua y near y competed . In one season dur ing the

50s , f ac to ry sh i p s p roces sed more t han 40 ,000wha escompared to an annua production o f fewer than50 per season d uring the 850s, before the days o f factorysh ips .

The wha i ng industry has now become h i storyor neary so. If any harvests are to be aowed in the future, theymust be rigidy controed by stricty enforced internationaagreements.

A k l of perm Waes brougtalongsde a alng sp to beprocessed

3


26/164

CNSERVIN and i t s impor tance to the sav ing ofcetaceans came in to focus g radua y I n a rge measure thwas due to poor knowedge of tota popu lations and to the

sow rate at which cetaceans reproducehen whaers no onger found hunting for a particuarspecies profitab e, they turned to another They thought thatthey were simpy having bad years, as farmers sometimes have poor crops due to un favorab le weather In fact,the whaers had h unted a species to such a ow popu ation

eve that its very surviva was endangered But there wereno statistics to te them th is hen methods of censusing whaes improved and pop

uation dynamics was better understood, the rea pight ofcetaceans was finay known Authorities began soundingalarms Getti ng an effective remedy was particuary d ffi cut , for cetaceans ive in internationa waters Contros

requ i re i nternationa agreement and cooperation In 46, the Internat iona l ha ing Commiss ion was

estab i shed I n the beg inn ing it had one representative fromeach of more than a doen nations By 88 there weremore than 40 members The IWC's purpose is to estabisrules and regu ations to safeguard wha le popuations, uti

iing the advice provided by experts Often the interests ofthe whae rs has been a greater concern than the su rviva ofthe whales More roubing has been the inabi ity of theIC to get its proposa s accepted aga inst the wishes of anation Huge factory sh ips, mai ny from Russia and Japan ,contn ued to hunt for those few whaes sti remai n i ng

Sowy an understanding has come that protection ofwha es i s necessary to prevent tota l destruct ion of the irpopuat ions The regu atons suggested by the Commissionare reluctantly being accepted erhas enough time is leftto prevent extinction of some of the most magnficent creatures ever to have inhab ted the earth

24


27/164

A standed 1 ,200-lb . baby pem Wle is l ifted onto a fla tbedtuk to be tanspoted to te Dolpin esea Cente.

haing however is not the ony probem faced bycetacean s They suffer for exampe when the waters where

they fee become po ute an the i r foo is estroye orpoises an oph in s come i nto reguar conf ict with commerc ia f i shermen who say hat these an imas eat toomany fish an amage the ir f ishi ng gear There are timestoo when mysterious maaies str ike in epidemic proportions I n the summer of 987, for exampe op hi ns aongthe east coas of the Un ited States d ied i n a rge numbers asthe resut of d strange in fection

For tunate y more an more peop e are aware ofwhaes dophins an porpoises an are wi ing to investtime an money to save them from extinction Both government an private agencies a re invove i n these efforts

25


28/164

ME N RINE dolphi ns and their kin have deighted people for many years To the i r credit, these gentle an i mals have seemed to try to establish a friendly relationship

with humans Ancient coins and vases show a boy riding a dolphin,but this depicion was general ly believed to be mythical Yet persisent stories from around the world told of hesefriendly sea mammals appearing among peope at beaches and f ro l i c k i ng w i h t hem The an i m a l s somet i mesallowed the most courageous humans, particuarly youthsto hold onto the ir dorsa l fi n in order to get a ride I n retu rnthe animals l iked to have their bel ies scratched or theirbacks stroked

Other tales told of porpoises charging into a school oprowling shrks and sending the fearsome fish on theirway, thu s spari ng the l i fe o f a swimmer or a wad ing fi sher

man A frontpage story once told of a woman caught in

Jumping though hoops i s a stanar stunt fr performing olphins.


29/164

Dolpns sim g spee, ten ump n unison

an undertow that was carrying her out to sea Suddenyshe was nued by something and, within seconds, wasroed onto he beach, beyond the power of the tuggingwaves

Did the dophin save the woman by intent or by accident, s impy pu sh ing at he r payfu y and ou t of curiosity?No one reay knows, of course, but authorties doubt thatthe doph in , though in te igent, coud actua y recogn ie thewoman's p ght Some, however, ins is t that the doph inknew preci sely what i t was doing

phnsDo ph i n s f i r s t per fo rmed i n mar i ne exh ib i t s i n t he

1 30s, when they were brought to Marine and o Fo ridaat St Augu sine S i nce then , doens of s im i a r shows i n theUnited States and throughout the word have used them tostar in outdoor extravaganas Fipper, the Bottenosed

Dophin in a motionpicture and teevis ion ser ies of the 960s, further popula rie i s species Pple wh hadnever seen do ph in s i n the i r n a tu ra hab i tat began toappreciate their genteness, ceverness, and seeming highinte igence

27


30/164

One te most feare reatures n te sea, Kler Waes are no

star performers at sea-life exibts

Kller Whales

Now another popuar performer at marine exhi bits, theKi er ha e was for many years ranke as he most ferocious, voracious, an angerous beast in the sea Huntingin packs ike woves, Ki er haes are inee fearsomeSharks, oph ins , seas , wha lesno anima i n the sea canbe safe fom their atacks Swimmers were cont inua ywarne about them As ate as the 970s, in fact, survivabooets for m i ta ry personne iste the i er hae as themost angerous creature that cou be encountere a

seain spi te of the fact that no Ki er hae ha ever beenknown to harm a human Ineed, a sot of comraeshipwith hese big beasts ha been eveoping for neay aecae

In 1 964, a scu ptor commi ssione to mae a i fes izerep ica of a K i er ha e for a museum set out to get a rea moe He woune a ier hae, then towe it bac toport he it respone to his attention an i no is-pay ferociousness, espite having been treae bay, thescu ptor became very attache to it Many visi tors came tosee the hapess captive, and though it i not live ong, iperforme an invauabe service as a miss ionary for i ts

28


31/164

kind Now people began to understand that the KillerWhale was not only approachable but also amazinglymanageable Soon the Kiler Whale moved into he lime

light at many marine exhbits A confident trainer mightven put his or her head into the creaure's gaping mouth,demonstraing the animal's dociliy. A Sea World inOrlando, Forida, a Killer Whale produced an offspringfor its owners, and the baby was sn performing wih althe adeptness of its mother It has never known the vast

world of he open sea

Confic wi Commercial FishrmenUni dolhins endeared themselves to pple wih their

showmanship, their general image was negaive, due inlarge measre to commercial fishermen wo referred tothem as "herring hogs" and accused them of stealing more

than their share of fish They claimed hat hese animalsate their own weight in fish every day I this were true,those in captivi would work on starvation diets, for hmanage all of their explosive enthusiasm and exuberanceon 20 pounds or less of fsh each day uch perormerdisprove earlier misconcepions and capivate he public in

the pocess ew othe amas have but such wespeadpopulari for hemselves in so short a timeWhen conserationists ointed out ha tuna fishermen

were deliberately drowning abou 300000 dolhins everyear in their nets, public wrah broght the enire tuna eetto a temporry hal he nation was rightusy indignantSadly, dolphins were paying wih heir lives aer leading

te fihermen to bouniful catches Tuna ad dolphins aretypicaly ond together, athough hs relationship is notwel ndersood Neiter feeds on the oer, but i is eviden hat o somehow beefit from he asociaion-unilnes draw tigh around tem!

29


32/164

erfrers

hat can performing dophins do? Amost everyhing

but ta k , and some be ieve that do ph in s may even betaught to speak One g roup has suggested that these ceat u res cou d even tua y be taugh t a human anguage Unquestionaby, they do fainty mimic the human voice nmari ne exh ibits they commony make sounds i ke those theyhea around them But in these shows they dispay othe

more fasci nati ng ta entsDophins wi respond to both visua and spoen commands They wor for rewardsa fish for evey weperformed act But to the animas, wok seems amost o bepay They appear to en joy themseves from start to fin i sh i nevery show, and they ae perfecion i sts hen they make amistake, they rarey need to be eprimanded o tod by the

trainer to repeat a tric They know from experience thathey get no fish unti an act s we done, and so they vountari y give i t another try

On command fom its tra i ne, a doph in wi baance aba on its nose an then throw the ba to a companionwho catches the ba on ts nose and throws it back The

first doph i n may then f i p the ba onto its head and et itro down its back o its ta i , th is t ime us ing its boad fukesto th row the ba hen fin ished with thei r act, the dophi nsmay swim to the ra i ner, each extend i ng a f i ppe for ahandshake before pi cki ng up the ir fish

Their eaps ae aways spectacuar, a dophin weighing300 to 400 pounds easi y push ing itse 1 5 o moe fee

into the ai to hurde a crosspiece o grab an object fromthe top of a poe Nowadays, too, visitors are awed at thesght of gargantuan Ki er haes erupting from the waterith unbe ievabe deftness, one of them wi hu rte throughthe a ir an pu ck an object from the tra i ner's mouth

30


33/164

Dophins are aso creat ive, sometimes invent ing theirown games to pay wth spectators They may seect oneperson who or some reason ooks coopeative and then

toss h i m or he r an ob ject rom the poo I the personthrows it back , a game is underway The object goes backand orth , a ways to the same person and a ways th rownwith aston is hi ng accuracy

Pefomng dolpns speed aoss te ate by "tal alkng."

3 1


34/164

e Bt, a fome ppe" sta, ves a boy a e

Dophns seem to ike almost anyone though certaincoors seem to di surb them If someone dressed n back sstani ng at the poo ra i a dophi n may drench tha t personwith a wave or swim cose enough to squ i rt the person witha mouthfu of water When performing such a prank the

dophins are obvous y p eased They "chuck e " makecacking noises and applaud themseves by capping therf ippers

Left aone dophins pay games to amuse themselvesrewarded ony by ther own peasure Given a feather adoph i n may carry it to a jet of water com ing nto the tan k

and reease it i nto the stream As the feather shoots of thedophin gives chase an retrieves it Sometimes a seconddoph i n wi jo in in the fun one carryng the feaher o theet and etti ng t oose the other catch ing i t Whether eaping through hoops onstage or paying on their ownat

32


35/164

whatever they do, dophns wear an infecious smie thatde ights a who watch thei r antics

hat doph ins do i n these shows is the resut of i nten

sive schooing by their trainers The most effective trainersare those who have a natura way with animalsthatu nders ta n d i ng between t ra ner and beasts that seemsamost inborn ith inte igent, responsve dophins, training is cons ideraby easier than with many other an ma s Tokeep the performer in t rim , the i r schoo has sess ionsseven days a week hen performing, the experienced,

dependabe veteran s get the ime i ght Tra nees or apprentices do esser stnts nd wa it thei r turn for top b i i ng

Keepin Wach

Some peope voice concen about dophin performersbeing depr ived of their freedom and hed pr isoners in

cramped tanks These dedicated peope monitor the anmas and their iv ing condi t ions Fortunate y, in todaysma or exhi bits, the an ima s have enough room to fee comfortabe They are we fed, and their medica needs aremet immedia tey Most importanty, the exh ibits focus atten ton on the speci a adaptations and needs of cetaceans forti r uti i f

Some peope concerned for the wefare of doph ins andother sea mammas have been especiay critica of thosewho train them fo mi i tary dut ies The animas are not,however, trai ned as k i ers, nor are they trai ned to be ki edas carr iers of grenades and bombs Dophins were f irstused by he U S Navy as offshore sentres duri ng the Viet

nam ar They were aso empoyed in the Persian Guf tooate mies and to detect movements o sboteurs at workunde rwater Mi i tary tra in ed doph i ns demand paymentony in f is and also in the ffect ion tey get from theirappreciative handers

33


36/164

BALEE HALES

Subrer Msce

haes of th is suborder do not have funct iona teeth Instead, they have baleen, or whaebone, a f ex ib ehorny substancewhite in some whaes, back, yeowish,or otoned in ohers In a age whale, more than 300pates of baeen hang down ike s i ff curtains from theupper aw on each side of the mouth A pate may be as

much a s feet ong, and a foot or more i n width Theouter edge i s sraight, fitting tighty aga inst the aws whenthe mouth is c osed The inner edge (or tongue s ide) sextended into brist es that form a hair ike fr inge of thintubes Ba een coni nues to grow hroughout the whaes ife,repacing materia worn away by the action of wate and

the tongue

hen feeding, a whae swims into a swarm of smacustacean s with is mouth open A s t he whae c oses itsmouth, water is forced out at the sides and though thesieve i ke screen of baleen Smal l crustaceans or even sma l ish become caught on the bristy fringes The whae thenuses is tongue to move them in to i ts throat for swa owing Even the a rgest wha e has a throat passageway not mucharger than an orange It i s not la rge enough , a t any rate,o accommodate anyth ing the sie of the Bib e's Jonah

The tough, piabe baeen was one of the highy vauedcommerci a products obtai ned from whaes It was used ncorsets and i n s im i a r roducs i n which stiffness with fexi

bi i ty was important It has been repaced by past icsBaleen whaes can be dist inguished from the toothedwha es by the i r hav i ng two b owhoes in s tead of one hen they bow, the twin spouts are dist inct ive Baeenwhaes a re gente giants of the whale ca n

34


37/164


38/164

al Balaenae

These were caed right by eary whaers because theywere the bestthe rightones to hun t for thei r rich yieldof oi and whaebone I n addition, they did not strugge asvioenty as other species, and convenienty, they foatedwhen dead Righ t wha es have a arge head, and there no grooves in the throat or on the ir abdomen A di stinctivefeature is the ack of a dorsa fin (except in the Pygmy Righ tWhae) The baeen of the r ight whae s except iona yong In the Bowhead, for exampe, each pate may measu re as much as 2 feet

36


39/164

HE HLE measu res about 50 (occasiona y 60 ormore) feet ong, its g ian t head account ing for a thi d of itstota ength This big whae, wh ich may weigh as much asl 00 tons, is amost tota y back, the coor grading to agray around the ta i and f ippers It has wh ite under its chi nand sometimes on its high y arched uppe aw The baeenis dark g ray to back

Once abundant i n a rctic waters, the Bowhead hae isnow rare It is found i n arctic seas, occasi ona y rangi ng as

far south a s the Gu f of S Lawrence and the Bering Seahe sowswimm ing Bowhead hae traves i n g roups of afew animas but may occasionay band together in argeherds The Bowhead once went by the name of GreenandRight hae


40/164

RGH HLE once the most common whae of temperateseas, has been reduced in numbers to ony a few housandan ima s It i s about the same sie as he Bowhead haebut with a sma er head and thu s ess ba een The functiono its bonnet, a horny growth on its arced upper jaw, isnot known The bonnet is typicay infested with parasites,

and barnaces grow on itA cosey reated species was once equay abundantfrom Aaska o southern Ca i forni a It , too, i s now endangered Another right whae inhabits e coo seas of theSouthern Hemisphere

PYGMY RIGH HL, o 20 feet ong bu usuay ess,

ives off the coasts of South America, Austraia, and NewZeaand It has never been common, and itt e is knownaout its habits Unike other right whaes, it has a dorsafin Each of its more than 200 baeen pates is ony abou2 feet ong

38


41/164

ITWHALE

PYGMY RIGHT WHALE

9


42/164

RRQAS, R HAES

Bpr

These whales have a triangular dorsa fin set well backnear the ta i l and a ser ies of fo lds or p leats under theth roat The head is short and fla t as compared to the la rge,h igharched head of right whales The sma ll er mouth con ta in s les s ba leen , wh ich i s shorter and s ti f fer tha n the

baleen of ri ght wha les Fas t swimmers, these whales weredangerous qua rry for whale hunters

FN HLE may e 80 feet long but i s us ua l ly shorter, andmay weigh as much as 60 tons Fin efers to its curved,2 foo dosa l fn

4


43/164

Razorback is anothe name for this whae because ofthe sharp ridge down i ts back .

he Fin hae's most unu sua eature is i ts asymmetrica

cooring. The rgh t side o the ower aw i s wh ite, the eftside dark. he tongue is darker on the right side than onthe eft, and the baleen s a so bicoored, the pates on theeft b ui sh g ray and those on the rght igh ye ow.

Fi ns can swim as rap id y as 30 m i es per hour, and harpooned animals oftn towed whaeboats. In winter, these

whaes migrate to warm temperate seas, where they mateand the emaes give birth. In summer, they return to poarwaters where thei r food (mosty sma cru stacean s but a l sosma i sh ) i s pentifu . hey may consume 2 tons or more offood every day. As a result of whaing harvests, the Finhae i s now an endangered species.


44/164

LUE HLE, he lares animal ha has ever l ive onlan or i n he sea, ma measure more han 00 fee lonan wei as much as 200 tons Females are s l i larer han he males A Bl ue hal e s igan ic hea is about

a qua rer of the an mal s s toal lengh

Because o f i t s s t ream i ned bo , t he B l ue a leappears to be a fast swimmer Ordinaril its top spee isonl about 5 mi les per hour, an it can continue swim

ming at this speed for two hours or longer Harpoonewhales, however, have been known to go ice as fast,though the cannot maintan his faster spee for a longtime Th i s g reat whale i s al so a deep iver Tpica ll it raves less han 350 feet uner he su rface, but i ma ve to

42


45/164

we over ,000 feet deep hen it bows on resurfacingthe coumn i ke spout may rise to more than 30 feet

A wary and near y so i tary creature an adu t B uehae i s eas i y f r igh tened hae hunters earned to

approach as si ent y as possibe o prevent their quarryfrom being sca red away. Under the su rface a B ue haemay make moani ng sounds that are detectabe for 50 mi esor farther.

Young B ue haes are not as caut ious as are the

43


46/164

adul ts. Inqu is t ively they wi l l swim close to boats. Duri ng thewha l i ng days, thi s cur ios ity was often a fatal m i stake.

The Bue hae is slateblue above and lighter below.

Often the underside is yellowish due to growths of diatoson the whales pleated or grooved undersurface. Anothername for the Blue hale in days gone by, in fact, was Su lphurbotomed hale, and coincidental ly, the abundantdiatoms a re the princ ipal food o f the kri l l t ha t susta n thebig whale s.

There are 1 00 or more pleas or grooves on the wha le sunderside. hen these are stretched , they g ve the wha le smouth much greater capac for taking in he large quan ies of water from which it strains is food. he pleats alsoincrease he sie of the wha le s chest in respi ration , maki ngit possible to take in an enormous quantty of air for song stays underwater.

This giant animal subsists on a diet of kri l l , which areshr imp l ike crus taceans se ldom measur ing more than 2

nches long. In the summer months Anarctc waters teemwith kri l l . Hund reds of square m i les of the ocean a re turnedreddis brown by swarming cous of te crustaceans. Tesea becomes a nutritious soup that the Blue hale can

Kril, none more ta 2.5 inces long, fee te argest aiaive or tat as ever existe


47/164

partake of s impy by opening i ts mouth A big whaesstomach may contain more than a ton of kr i , and in aday s time, he whae may consume 4 tons or more

During the winter months, the whaes move to northernt rs

that are warmer During these months, the whaesdo not eat They su rvive by iving off thei r ampe bubber,hav i ng accum u a ted as muc h as 20 tons du r i ng t he i rmonths of feeding Dur ing the winter months, too, the B uehaes mate

Femaes, or cows, bear a sing e ca f, usua y every o

years The ca f may be more than 20 feet ong at bi rth , andit grows rapidy, generay adding a ton of weight everyweek or so ithin a year it has doubed its ength, andwithin five years it is sexua y mature and ready to bearyoung of its own

Ony a ew thousand Bue haes st i exist , wha ing

having reduced the ir numbers from an estimated 250,000They are now protected by internationa agreements, buta countries do not abide by the regu ations Unfortunatey,too, the reguations are no aways based on the best bioogi ca data, and represent the i nterests of whaers as muchas, or more than , the wefare of the whaes


48/164

SEI HLE may reach a ength of 60 feet and weigh asmuch as 30 tons I has a srongy arched upper aw, ikethe Bowhead Whae The arge dorsa fin is recurved on itsh i nd marg n , and the peats or grooves on its underside do

not go aft of the shor fippers The Sei Whae is gray toback on its upper surface and whte beow, but the whitedoes not extend to the tai The baeen is back, its fringeswhite and so fine hey are wooy or hairikeextremeyeffective in trapping the sma crustaceans on which the46


49/164

wha e makes most of its mea s It a so traps and eats sma f ish

Found in a seas , the Se i hae moves toward theequator n win ter and toward cooer water i n s ummer It s

ess common in poar waters than the Fin, Humpback, orBue whaes. The Sei hae is be ieved o be the fastestswimmer of a the f in whaes, possiby achieving speedsexceedi ng 20 m i es per hour, and th i s speed gave t protection from wha ers for many years

47


50/164

MIN WHL

IKE WHLE the smallest of the fin whales, measuresabout 25 eet long Its yellowish whiefringed baln s lesshan a fot long The Minke Whale is bluegray above and

whte belw, with a distinctve white patch on the outer sideof each Ripper The dorsal fin is high and curved, the snoutpointed his whale requeny ravels in small schls tht

swim into bays and estuaries or close to coasts Whenthese whales jump, they general fall back on er side,making a large noise and splash The Minke Whale isund in both the Aantic and Pacific, ranging from warmequatorial icy polar waters

48


51/164

BYD' WH

RYE'S WLE about 40 feet ong, lives in warm to temperate seas rougout e word ts most distincive feature is is baeen, wic is wite streaed wit gray andback Becase its fringes are so brie tat tey cannotserve effecivey as a seve, is wae feeds mainly onsma scooling fis Bryde' Wae is simmer and more

strmined tan any of te oter fin waes Tree ridgesextend from te snout bac to te ar of te bowoesis mediumsized wae commonly bears scars fromaacs by sars Brydess Wae was never abundantand did not conribute significanty to te waling industry

49


52/164

HUMPCK HL, to 50 eet ong, has an exceptionaylage ea, accounting or neary a third of the anima'stota engt Numerous wartike tuberces on is hea have

bristes or hairs in their center, an there are as many as

25 thoat gooves, or peats he sma orsa fi n i s ocates ighty a of the m ipoint between he hea an ta i l heexceptiona y ong f i ppesto feet o moreare sca ope on the i r front marg ins he Hu mpback hae i sback above an whiti sh beow, i ncuing the f ippers anfukes Its baeen is grayback Foun in a seas, ony a

few tousan Humpback haes are beieve to survivetoay, the an ima s having been hunted to near extinction hi s wae sometimes eaps competey out o he water

in an act ca e breach ing Its 50 tons cashi ng back ontote surace can be hear for m i es I n reentering the water,

0


53/164

ts body is bentor humpbacked It aso beats the surface with its fu kes, whi ch is ca ed obta i i ng . Some of theseantics are beieved to be reated to courtshp hen maessing (p 5), they characteristica y hang head down in thewater

5


54/164

Y

al schrchtae

GRY HLE, the ony species in its famy grows to aength of 45 feet and may weigh more than 30 ons It hasony o to fou r peats or grooves under its th roat and tsyeowish baeen is more han a foot and a ha ong Thehead is narrow and he dorsa fin so indisinct that it canscarcey be distinguished from the bumps or "knuckes"on its back As its name i ndicates the basic coor i s graybut there are many ighter marks over the body

The Gray Whae was once common hroughout the


55/164

North Pacific ranging as far south as Japan and Caifornia It was hun ted to near extinction but the protection provided by the Internationa ha i ng Comm ssion si nce 47

appears to have heped it make a comeback to its originapopuation of 5,000 to 20,000. Gray haes often cru i secose to shore and pay in the surf sometimes in groups of00 or more individuas In autumn the whae eaves itsfeeding grounds in the Bering Sea traeng southward tothe southern coast of Mexico where it breeds The cows

then g ive b rth and defend the ir ca ves so aggressivey thatthe Gray hae was ca ed Devi f ish by eary whaers nspr ing the wha le makes i ts return journey th e round rip forsome i nd ividua s tota ing 4,000 mi es (p 7) .


56/164

TTHD

Subrder Odnce

Al l of the many spec ies in thi s suborder have teeth in ei therthe upper or the lower aw or i n both I n most, the eeth a resimple and conical , useful for caching and holding preybut not for chewing Some dolphins have 300 or moreteeth , more than any other mamma l Other members of h issuborder are nearly toothless or have only a few specialied teeth In several species the head bulges, even extend

ing beyond the end of the aws. Fi l l ed wih an oi ly, fib roust i s sue , th i s soca l l ed me lon i s apparent ly pat of thesounddetecting and focusing system Toothed whales havea singe blowhoe

Nearly al l of the toothed whales travel in groups, orpods, some of which consist of hundreds o individuals Sounds, some above th e range of human heari ng , a re uti i ed to keep in contact with other members of the her Allo the oothed whales are carnivorous, making their measmainly of squid and fish Most toothed whaes are small ,averag ing about 6 feet in length, b ut the Ki l ler hal e mayreach a length of 30 feet The Sperm hale may attain alength of 60 eet, making it the largest of the toothedwhales

BKD

al ZphaeMembers of this family have a distinct snout, and most ofthem have a high, domed forehead Under the throa areo (sometimes more) deep grooves hat neary meet under

the chin but separate as they pass towad the rear of the54


57/164

body The h i nd edge of the triangul ar dorsal fin is concave,and the fl ippers are slender Unl ike other cetaceans, thewide flu kes a re not deeply notched in the center

Most of the beaked whaes live in the oen sea, wherethey travel in pods They are known for the i r habi t of swim-ming and d v ing in un i son Norma ly they remain sub-merged for 5 to 30 m inutes then su rface to blow, but ha r-pooned animals have been known to say underwater foran hour and a hal f or longer

GSEEK HLE to 5 feet long and weighing asmuch as 4 tons, travels i n schools whi ch have been seen inal l ocean s Te an ima ls swim in un ison at the surface withthei r backs exposed, d iving and then surfaci ng together toblow They commonly remain submerged for half an houror longer Their principal food is squid The Goosebeak

does not have as h igh a forehead as the Bott lenosedhale (p 56), and t appears more streamlined It variesfrom dark browni sh or blui sh above to l igh t below


58/164

BOLENSD WHALE, about 5 t ong an wighing

as muh s tons (though usual ly lss), travls in schoolsgnral ly consist ing of approximatly a ozn animals .Thi s whal's princpal oo i s cuttlfi sh

h Bottlnos Whal's forha bulgs prominntly,bcoming icrasingly xaggrat as th animal growsold. Insid this hollow bony om or mlon, is a rs-voi of sprmacti (p. 6 ), wh ich mad thi s whal th mostcommrcially valu of th bak whals Th young arborn gray or vn blackish. As thy grow olr thybcom a much lightr coor, first splotch with yllowishwhit an thn finally covr by yllowish whit ovr thntir boy

56


59/164

The Bttensed Whae winters in the midtantic and

spends its sumers in the c waters f the rctic Thecsey reated Suthern Bt ensed hae ives in theSuthern Hemisphee Whaers cnsidered the BttensedWhae e f the mst dangerus, fr when harpned,the whae wud dive immediatey, ften t a depth f2,000 feet r mre Un ess the i ne attached t he ha r

pn was extremey ng and remai ned freerunni ng un ti lthe anima had reached the end f its dive, the pungingwhae cud take a whaer's bat under The whae itsefcud remai n submerged fr an hur and a ha f r ngerfter a deep dive, a whae stays at the surface fr as ngas 1 5 mi nu tes, bwing and regai n i ng its breath

5


60/164

BAIRD'S HALE, to 40 fee ong and weighi ng as much as 0 tns, is the argest of the beaked wha es I t ives i n theNorth Pacif ic, from as far south as Japan and Caifornianorhward to the Beri ng Sea Tw of the teeth in i t s owerjaw are extraordinar i y arge, and i ts meon is pro-

nounced Bai rd's Whae is gray or browni sh b ack , sometimes with wh i te botches on the beyA cosey reated and somewhat sma er species i nab its

the cod seas of the Southern Hemisphee, particuary offNew Zea and

5


61/164

DNSAD AL

DENSE-BEKED HE, to 1 feet ong , roams temperateand tropica seas throughout the word but is abundantnowhere At each corner of its mouth is an arched buge(most promi nent i n maes} i n wh ich a huge ooth is rooted The tooth may be as much as inches high and 3 inches

wide In maes these teeth typi ca y protrude from the jaw,but i n fema es they rema in covered by the gum The Densebeaked hae i s grayish b ack above, wi th scat teredbotches of a i ghter coor, a nd it i s u n iformy ig hter on thebey

59


62/164

OWER EAED WHAE

SRY'S BA HAL abou 1 5 feet ong , is emos common of more a a f a dozen rare species n isgenus Some of ese waes none of wic is more an20 fee ong, a re kown on y by a few ind iviua ls . As eyae mainy dwelers of te open ocean ey ae ot nomay see. Sowerby's Beaked Wae ves in e orAanic . I was g iven e name Cowfis when an in divid ua a was sranded off Le Have, Frace , be owed i ke acow. Sowerby's Beaked Wae as a ong snout and araer sim, sreamine body. I as o oustandg coor

60


63/164

SRAPE ALE

or markings, but there is a noticeabe buge in its head usti n front of the bowhoe .

of ts cose reatives (True's Beaked Whae, Pacif cBeaked Whae, Straptoothed Whae, and others} have aong snout and deep grooves under the throat. I n the Strap

toothed Whae, he pair of fat teeth grow onger as thean ima becomes oder. I n tme these teeth may curve overthe upper aw and prevnt the anima from opening itsjaws fuly. Because they ve in deep, cod waters, itte isknown about the habi ts o f these whaes .

6 1


64/164

SPERM HALES

al hseeraeSPERM HE is probaby the most fam i i ar of a whaesbecause of the mae's hi gh , squarefronted head I n a argemae, which may be 60 feet ong, the head accounts formore than a third of the anima's ength Cows are onyabout haf as arge as the maes The mae's enormoushead consists mainy of a reservoir conaining spermaceti,a white oi y mass be ieved to ac as a sort of cushionaga inst the great pressure a t the depths to wh ich the whae

d ives The Sperm hae i s known to dive more than a mi edeep en it dives, the whae i fts its fu kes hi gh ino heair, then sounds, or dives, amost straight down ino hewater t ma remain submerge for an hour or ongerbefore surfacing to bow Ony Beaked haes (p 54)

6


65/164

dive deeper or stay under the surface for a longer periodof time

he s ing e S shaped bowhoe, on the left s ide nearthe front of the head, directs the spout forward at an angeThe ower aw does no t extend as far forward as the frontof the head , whi c adds to the beast's unusual aearance

Te Sperm Wae has no dorsa l f i n , on ly a ser ies ofbumpsthe first and most prominent located about twothirds of the way from the snout to the tai Compared tothe whae's sie, its f ippers a re extremey sma

h is giant , which consumes more than a ton of foodevery day, feeds on squid and cutt lef is that i t hunts in

deep water I s battes with the Gian t Squ id a re we ma rkedby the scars on he whae's body where the squ id's hookedsuction cups have dug in deepy Scars inside the whae'sstomach suggest that a squid continues to fight even afterbeing swaowed

63


66/164

A Sperm hae's usual color is black, or nearly so, butthe female may be gray. The occasional albino offspringnspired Herman Melvi l le 's novel Mby Dick At birth aSperm hale is nearly 1 5 feet long . The mother rol l s ontoher side near the su rface so that the baby can breathe as itnurses.

A large Sperm hale coud yield as much as ,000gal lons of o i l . The spermacet , which becomes a white,wax solid in air, was used in ointments. Sperm oil , also

taken from the head , made an excel lent lubr cant for prec is ion mach ery. The meat was eaten, and the teeth, wh ichmay be as much as 7 nche s long and weigh hal f a pound,were ca rved in to ornaments . The most u n usu a l productfrom the Sperm hal e is ambergris , found f loating free inthe ocean or washed onto the shore. It can also be takend i rectly from a whale's intesti nes, where it apparently forms

de to an irr i tat ion. Fresh ambergr is i s a b lackish, fouodored mass hen dry, it is l ighter in color and as amusky odor. I was once used i n produci ng the most expens ive perfumes , for the guml ike ambergr i s would eas i lyabsorb and retai n el icate oors. n , a alton massof ambergr is removed from a Sperm ha le sold for nearly

$ 1 1 2 ,000 These huge whales communicate with a wide range ofcl icks, sueaks, roans, and other sounds. If attacked orfrighened they g ive off cries that travel for m i les and serveas a warni ng to other whales .

Sperm hales a re essentia l ly whales of tropic and temperae seas. They travel in pods that nowadays are comprised of only a few an imal s, but in times past consi sed ofhund reds of in dividua l s. Of the great whales, however, it snow the most abndant, the world popula ion believed toexceed alf a mi l l io . Ths is neerthe less only about athi rd of its origi na l population.

64


67/164

PGM SPERM HE 1 2 ee lng and weigi ng nlabut 1 ,000 punds , des n ave a l arge ead I ssaped mre like a prpise Te sr lwer aw and a

pale mark resembl ing a g i l cver n eac s ide te eadgive it a sarklike appearance Like its large cusin, wever, i des ave a spermaceti case, ug a muc smal er ne Te Pgm Sperm Wale as a drsal in Tiswale, whic as alwas been rare, cus in warm andemperae seas rugu e wr ld I ten becmessranded n sre

Te Dwar Sperm Wale is smal ler tan te PgmSperm Wale, measuring nl abu 6 ee lng I alsas a prprinael iger drsal n L ike te PgmSperm Wale , i t ccurs in warm and emperae seas rugut te wrld As a spec ies, it as been recgn izednl s i nce e 1 960s

6


68/164

ARHA A HE AE

al Mae

ARHAL, o 6 fee long, i g raih whi el i era l l

corpe co lored Nor, i s S cand i nav i a n name , mean corpse Commonl he an imal s are spoed wi h backThe arwhal ha no doral fin Is mo di incive fea-

ure is he male' usk A female rarel ha one ) Th i s ukuuall develops onl on he lef ide, bu occasionall a

66


69/164

secnd usk rms n e r g s id e Sp i ra le d , spngins ide, and br le, s specal ized is up 9 eelng Tug is funcin i s n knwn, sme speculae ai is used as a prbe fr s irr ng in e mud, dis ldgingsmal l is and crusaceans , wic e wale en swa l lwswle Tere is evdence, , a i s used in gs wer males n e ma ng seasn su rprs in gl, e uskas araced umans I as been sld as e rn elegendar uncrn, and supersius wners believe a iassu res em gd lu ck

67


70/164

ITE E R BEUG, 8 ee lng ug usual srer, i s nearl pure wi e wen maure Te ung a rebluis gra. In bd sape e Wie Wale lks muc

l i ke a arwa l, bu i lacks a usk I as a di sinc and lex-ible neck a permis e animal urn is ead, wic isbu lged in rn in a d i si nc meln p 5)


71/164

Wen suraces breae, e We Wale ems alw r l l , s meldus a mes a e Eskms call eSea Canar ke e arwa l, e We Wale l ves n

n e cld waers e rcc, bu ma als rave upnrern r vers l ke e S awrence Scls esewa les en cna n u ndreds an ma ls


72/164

P RO SS

Fam ly Phocoenidae

Prpises, smeimes nsed wi dlpins (p 76, ared i sin gu i sed b ei r lak f a beak , ei r la ee , srer, bluner lippers, and skier bd Bh prpises anddlph in s a re sma l l ed whales , ms meas r ing less

an 1 5 ee lng Prp es in abi l , asa l waersand ma ravel ar up rivers heir name is derived rmhe renh r "sea hg," as he were ne nsidered ade li al ieral l a is a uld be eaen n das wene hurh rbade eaing mea Prpise was a avried he ral

Prpises eed n is, and n unmmnl e geaug and drwn in e nes mmer ia l isermen

RBR PRPIS usual l measures less han 6 ee lngand weigs abu 00 punds, asinal l mre he riangu a r drsal in smeimes has war uberes alng is

70


73/164

rn edge e ee a re un iquel spadesaped e Har -br Prpise is b lu ish b lack abve, inc ludin he b lun ,val l ippers, and wie belw, usuall grais ward emiddle e bel l General l i ravels i n scls al adzen r s an ima ls An ccasinal scl ma cna i n asman as 1 00. Excep wi is wn ki nd , e Harbr Pr-p ise i s n par icu lar l sc iab le I l ives in e rAlan ic and r Paci ic , sain in e sal lw waer

clse sre Here e ave cnend wi fisermensnes, bas, and plluin I des brin Harb Prpisesclse peple, wever, w see em plaing and sur-acing regularl breae Relaives e Harbr Pr-pise are und e cas Su America

7 1


74/164

S PRPIS is sriki ngl ma rkedblak wi a w iebe and lanks I measures up 7 ee lng and as asu bd wi smal l lukes and l i ppers and a lw drsa l

in Dlls Prpise lives in e Nr Paii were i rav-els n ss ranging in size rm a dzen r ewer several undred I is a swi swimmer, regularl llwing


75/164

sips I umps nl seldml bu sends a spra waerin e a i r wen i su races

True's Prpise, inabiing e wesern Nr Paciic, is

sim i la r D ll s Te wie saddlesaped marks n i s bel l are larger an se n D l l's Prpi se, and ere are a l sdierences in te ee and skelen


76/164

FLSS PRPS is distinuised y its lak f a drsal

fi n In te ride replain te fin is a rw f uberle s Teinless Prpise lives ff te asts f India and Cina Itseems t prefer murky waters and fen ascends rivers frund reds m i les Ms individua ls a re un i frmly ra, butsme are blak

74


77/164

Te ness Prpse measures abu 5 ee ng Is

l ppers are large and pned, and e lu kes are d snclnced I s rd nar a s lw swmmr ad mves alnga curse w rapd cange s n d rec n I rarel umps,nr des rema n submerged r muc lnger an a ewmnues bere su racng

75


78/164

PHS

Faml DelphndaeMoe than 60 spec ies comp is t i s lagest ami ly ocetaceans They ange om the open sea to coasta l a easand in to ives Most doph in s eed j st below the sacehey ae excellent swimmes, and some wil l leap clea ote wate Compaed to popoi ses (p 70) , do ph i n s ave a

moe steamlined body, and most have a distinctly beakedsnot an may shap, con ica l teeth They genea l ly tavelin school s and may a id each othe i ig ti ng o i ntdes hey hav been known to ki l l lage shaks by ammingthem epeatedly Some atoities also believe tey sebsts o sond to st ish o ote pey

SADDLBACK DPHIN, to 8 eet long, is ound in wamand tempeate seas thoghot the wold It is abndant,sa l y tavel ing i n scools, and i ke many o its elatives,en joys id ig te bow wave o a sh ip At in teva l s it ol ic si the wat neaby, then etns to the sh ip to let the bowwave do the wok o pshig it aong In sdde dashes,

the Saddeback may attain a speed o 30 miles pe ho,and it cu ises comotably at abot hal t i s atThis gaceul animal, its 6inch beak clealy sepaated

om its oehead by a goove, is dak blish black obown above and wite below A ing o black encicleseach eye, and wavy bands o white, gay, and yel lowmak the sides Th hig, tapeed dosa i is cved onits h i nd magi n The Saddleback feds on ish it catches inthe vicel i ke intelock ing o its moe than 1 00 teeth

Like popoises and dolphins gnealy, the Saddlebackas ong had a eputatio fo savig downing people iend ly but way, the an imal otn spots playu l ly aound

76


79/164

swimmes ad dives. Occasioal ly, whethe itetioal lyo accidely, it has bee kow to oll dowig peopleito the s ad ashoe, o it has maaged to help themstay aloat ti l tey all ied sicietly to help themselveso ti l esces eached them . Svivos have testiied thatdolphi s d id ideed povie thi s sot o a id . Dolphi s ea lso kow to a id the i ow comades, keep ig them aloatwhe they e i dage o dowig. he SaddlebackDolphi is the a imal made amos i the Geek tale o theboy who ode a dolph i to school evey mo ig ad thehome aga i each ateoo .

77


80/164

ENSED DPHN, to 1 2 eet long , is the mos com-monly seen o the dolphins. It is abndant in the Atlantic,bt it may appea i n wam tempeate seas anywhee i n thewold, geeal ly staying nea he coasts. Schools o Bot-tlenosed Dolphins oen consist o hndeds o individals.Easi ly caped and then tamed, thi s gentle dolph in i s theone seen in most maine exhibits I t is taght to jmp,how ba ls , and p t on ohe peomances that demon -state its agii and itelligence Stdies ae ndeway to

78


81/164

lean the "angage" of its whist les, sqeaks, chips, andgnts Some scientists ae convinced that i we ae eveable to commni cate with othe an imal s it wi l l be with thedolph ins ist A Bottlenose Dolph in was the sta o the i mand televisi on seies

FlipperThe Bott enosed Dolphin is aish black above andwhite below incldin its lowe jaw The beak, o nose,is shot, and the dosal f in cves backwad, ending in aathe shap point .

79


82/164

O OI

SPED DPHIN, to abot 9 eet long , is ma in ly seen othe east coast o Noh Ameica bt is not common. It smetal l ic be above and has a gay bel ly Its spots (andstipes i n some} ae d ist inct on ly at c lose ange

The c lose ly e lated S lende Dolphin l ives in wameAtlantic wates to the soth . The wideangi ng Sp inne Do -ph i n o wam seas i s so named becase it "spins," o issits body, when it leaps om the wate The Spinne Do

phin's ppe jaw is black, its body gay, and its belly white.The dosa in and the lkes ae dak . Abot ha a dozenothe membes o the same gens live in the Caibbean,doPacic, and othe wam wates. All have ong, na-ow beaks and sma l l , poin ted teeth.

0


83/164

CMMERSN'S DPHIN 4 to 5 eet log, also goes bysch commo ames as P iebald Popoise, Le Jacobite, adSkk Dolphi . The last ame comes om its colo pa-

tehead ad tai l black, etie midsectio o body wh ite,a st ik ig cooat io. Commeso's Dolphi ad sevealclosely ela td bt less commo species ae od i wateso the Sothe Hemisphee. All have small beaks ad ti-agla, odtipped dosal is.

COO' OLPHI

OTH IGHT-WHL OLPH

NRHERN RIGHHE DPHIN to 9 eet log, has ashot , s l im beak ad o osal i . I t l ies i the NothPaci ic. A si m i la ad closely elated species, the SotheRightWhale Dolphi, l ives i the Sothe Hemisphee,pat ic la y i Atact ic wates . The sothe species isdak above ad whi te below, the othe species s im i l a bt wi th the cotasts less shap Both ae seam l i ed , swi tswimmes that pee the ope sea. Ote they leap ot othe wate. The othe species tavel s i lage school s.

8


84/164


85/164

IRR PIN, to 8 eet long , has a high , ondedoehead and no beak . I t s sma l l dosa l i n i s shap lyecved, and the long l ippes ae sta ightedged anda lmost tiangla. Nealy ni omly slate b e, the I awad-

dy Dolph in as no dist inct makings.As i t s name imp l ies , th i s do lph in i s common in theIawady Rive egion o Bma. t also occs o Thailand and commonly appeas elsewhee along the coast o Sotheast Asia . Oten it tavels hndeds o m i les p ives.

83


86/164

HI-SIDD DLPHIN, to feet on, lves n the NothAtlantc whee schools cons stn of as many as 1 ,000 an

ma l s ae sometmes epoted . t uses t he n umeous sma l lteeth n ts shot, dak beak to catch and hold fsh, squd,and othe foods. The ta s keeled o ded above andbeow, the flukes notched, and the fppes sckleshaped.As ts name ndcates, th s dolph n can be d stnu shed byts whte sdes. A yellowsh steak above the whte extendsfom the mdd le of the body to the ta L ke ts elatves and

many othe cetaceans , t he Whtesded Dolph n commonly obta l s , o pounds the suface wth ts ta l . t s veyactve and ofte j umps .

The Whtebeaked Dolphn, cosey elated, s sma ns ze to the Whtes ded and occus n much the same

84


87/164

ange ts ost stngshng eate s s whe eakhee s aso a whte aea on ts back jst ehn thedorsal in .

The Pac ic Striped Dophin, seen eglarly in WestCoast aine exhibits, is comon n coasta wates i ng wnte an spr ng months I moves oshoe to cooewates n smer an atmn

Sti othe ebes o the same grop {al o whchhave vey short nots , strong l ippers, an st nct

ges behi nd the hi gh orsa n and the ans) are: the i t t le known Wi lson 's Horg lass Dolph in that ives inAntact ic waters; F i tzroy's Dolph in , ond o SothAmerica; and the Dsky Dolphin , which is the most com-mon dolph i n o New Zealand waters

85


88/164

RI' DPHI R GRMPU occs both theAtat c ad the Pac c Te ame Gamps s e veom a shoteng o o Fec wods (grand pissn

that l tea l ly ean "bg sh "Pelos Jack, the bestkow Rsso's Dolph ad o e o the most amos o a l dolphs, l ved o the shp otebeee Nelso ad Wellgto New Zeala Fo oecades , Pelos Jack met ea ly evey sh p tave l gbeee the slads ad escoted them o seveal mles,dg the bow wave o cavotg alogs de I ecog to


89/164

o ths athl volntee's sevice as a p lot, the Newealand legi slate ganted Pelos Jack l l govenmen-tal potecton

R sso's Dolph n meases abot 1 2 eet long It is g ayabove and nealy white below, and its ns and tail aeblack The dosal n is high and ecved, and the l ip-pes ae long and cved Risso's Dolphin has no beak,and the oehead ises adptly om the aws Thee aeno teeth i n the ppe jaw and on ly a ew th ee to seven)

in each ha l o the lowe jaw


90/164

PI males may mease to 20 eet long olonge, the emales shote They ae also called Blackishbecase o th i n i omly b lack colo, thogh they hae awhite patch nde the ch i n . Thi s boad band of wh ie na ows to a s l i m whi te l i ne a long the s tomach . The h ig h ,boa based dosal i n i s located a lmost exacly i n the middl e o the back The l i ppes ae sl im and pointed The beakis extemely shot, and the oehead potdes into a blbos o melonl ike blge Seveal species occ in wamand temperate seas, and they tavel i n school s. They weeheaviy havested by whale hnes as a soce o oil andmeat, and hey ae sti l l hn ted i n the Faoe Is lands

88


91/164

The name Piot Whae reers to the anima s ' habi t o o owing a eader even when ed into shaows where theybecome beached . There the heavy an ima s su ocatebecause their chest cavi t ies are crushed by their bodyweight co aps ing the ungs Not uncommony a whoeschoo o P i ot Whaes wi o ow the i r eader onto abeach

The animas may make a be owing noise when theysurace Whaers imitated the cas to ure he animas intosha ow waters and the imi tated sound a so became anoth er common nameCaa i nghat was used by some o thewhaers to descr ibe thei r qua rry.

89


92/164

KIER HE R RC was long consiee the mostvoacios o a l l an imal s i n the sea, an i nee it can be Aswit swimme, it tavels in packs o a ew to as many as 50o moe a imal s. They wok togethe, hei ng a haassing thei itene pey ntil it ties Then they move in tomake a k i l l Shaks, seals , peng in s, dophi ns , whalesnoan ima l i the sea can escape a hngy pack o K i l l e Whales on the powl , an the i s laghte may at t imesexcee the i ow immediate nees

0


93/164

'

The K i l le Wha le oams he oceans hogho he wolbt is most common in cooe seas I oen appeas alongcoass Sometimes a K i e Whale wi l i tea y san on itstai l , sticki ng its hea o o the wae an looking a t its s

on ings When it ives, i may ema in s bmege o aslong as ha l an hoA mae Ki l le Whale may mease 30 ee ong A

emale is a least a h i smal le The osa in is veylageas hgh as 6 eet in ole malesan i potes

9


94/164

om th wat a th anima wim pdiy aong nah a h ipp a nt, th k vy oa,and th i no ak Baia y ack, th Ki Wha ha

a nhapd wh it pot h ind ah y and patc owhit nd th hin, on t e y, and hind th doai n on ach id o th tam ind ody

Dpit it ptation a a oio cat, th ano rod o a K i Wha atak ing a hman I n ntya thi g iant at ha n ai y tamd, iva ing othdophin in oth doi i ty and ponivn to tain ingNow va mai n xhii t pody at K i Whaa ta attation and porm (p 2 )

L WHA

92


95/164

FE K W

FALS KLL HAL

meases about 5 feet l ong , themale and female a lmost the same s ize. Un l ike the Ki l leWhale, its f ippes ae sl im and pointed athe than blunt.The dosal in is sma l l and cu ved backwad, and the colois total ly black. I t has no beak. Lik the Ki l le Whale, i t i scommon in tempeate and topical seas thoughout thewold, but it pees the deep wates o he open ocean

whee it makes its meals o squid and f ish. L ike the Pi lotWhale (p. 88), with which it is sometimes confused, hedsof these animals have been standed on beaches. Shift ingcuents may cause them to stay in to shal low seas .

93


96/164

UGTE PIN, abot 7 eet log, l ives i e wam wate s o t he At l a t i c , Pac i i c a i aoceas. Schools o 100 o moe have bee epote, btl tt le s kow abot th is olph i 's habits . I t is b l ish blackabove ad pikish white with slatecoloe spots belowogbeake olphi is aothe ame sometimes se ote Roghtoothe olph i . hi s olphi a its close ela-tves ae sometimes place i a sepaate amiy, SteaeAl l have a log beak, meos teeth , a a i stict osal i .

The Bazi l ia Dolph i , o Tcx i, l i ves i esh wate a


97/164

p the Amazon and othe ives in Soth and Centa lAmeica. B ish black above and pae below, i t is onyabot 4 eet ong Fo simi a smal l dolphins inhabit the

coastal wates o notheasten Sot Ameica and mayascend the a ge ives.he IndoPac ic Hmpback Dolphin tavels the ives

and coastal wates o the Indian and Paci c oceans osothen Af i ca , As ia , and Ast a l ia . I t eeds on i sh ,despite pesistent epots that it is a vegetaian. Seveaothe s im i la spec ies o do ph ns inhabi t the ives andcoastal wates o Aica and Indi a .

.


98/164

RVER LPHS

aml atanstiae

These doph in s let the sea, thei ancestal home, to l ive i neshwate akes and ives The bones in thei neck aeage and sepaate, as in land mammals. All have a long,sl im beak, many teeth, and shot, boad li ppes

SUSU NDI RVE DLPHIN, abot 8 eet long andalmost toa ly bl i nd , sbsists on i sh and eswate sh imp s oehead ises shaply om the snot, and is l ippesae lage and boad based. The ke is distinctly notchedTh is dak bown to back doph in is ond only i n ndia i nhe Ganges and nds ives and thei tibta ies Wen i tspots, it makes a noise ("soosoo" ) mc l i ke its name


99/164

BAIJI R CHINEE RIVER LPHIN l ives in he loweeaches o he Chang J iang (Yangtze) R ve in Ch ina .Abou 7 ee long, i is gay above and whie below Thefoo long beak cu ves up a the tip Like the Susu, the Bai j ii s nea y b in d I t ave ls n heds o ewe h an ha l adozen an ima ls and is an endangeed species Once i wascal led Whie Flag Dophin because i was believed ha,hen he dolphin swam close o he suace, its lage do-sal i n oud ing om he wae esembled a lag

7


100/164

RNCISCN R P PIN aely moe tha5 eet og , l ives i coasta l wates o easte Soth Ame -ca he dosal i is well developed, ad te beak is log

ad s i m his bow ish dolpi eeds o smal ish, sqi d,ad cstaceas i the backish wates U ike al otheive dolphi s , it has good visio

UU R MZN PIN 6 to 8 eet log, ives ithe ive basis o easte Soth Ameica, 1 ,000 mi les

om the sea Gops geeal ly cos ist o ewe tha a a


101/164

dozen anmals. Some Bots ae black above and ceamypnk o lesco loed be low; otes , pesmably moemae, a e tota ll y ceamcoloed o pnk . e long , s l gtly

downcved snot beas a ew bstles; te dosal n ssmal l . e eyes ae t ny bt st l l nctonal . T e post on ote small eyes above te blgng ceeks pevents te dolpn om lookng downwad, oweve, and so wen teeds , t oten swms psde down c lose to te bottom. Botte l ppes and te lkes ae lage. Tese dolpns ave

been potected localy by spestton and myts.


102/164

MAA AD D

Orr Sa

Tota l ly aquati c, not vn coing asho to bd o to givbith to thi young, th anats and Dugong a oundon ly i n wa sas, stua is, and ivs Ths g, ti idbasts hav a sp indlshapd, bul ky body, padd l l i k ontgs (l ipps) and no hind fl i pps Th lattnd ta i l i s thpincipa ans o swing, though th ipps ay busd o sting o o sculing Ths a havybodid,dnsbond anias Though not swit swis, thycan anuv ski lul ly Thy hav a oundd had salys and lag, lxib, bistly l ips A w sti hais ascatd ov th thick hid, bnath which is a havylay o blubb Th nostils a on th top o th snout

and a kpt closd by valvs whn th an ial s a und-watStictly pant ats, consung as uch as 00 pounds

o vgtation p day, sinians hav a coplx stoach,uch l i k a cow's o oh ui nant's Bcaus thi lsh sgood to at, any o ths anials w slaughtd by

popl i vi ng a ong sacoasts Bcaus thy a slow ov-ing, thy a otn hit and kil ld by boat poplls, thwost o today

Ionically, ths ugly anials a said to hav hlpdinspi th aid yth, which xplains why thy aknown as si ns Sa i los who quatd th i looks with i -nin bauty, howv, had unqustionably bn at s

uch too long Thy a a lso ca l ld sa cows, a o aptna considing thi appaanc and th us o thilsh as ood Thi ancsty shows a cla lationship tolphants and to hyaxs sa l landdwl l i ng aal s oAica)

00


103/164

. =

, :

.;

,

, .

'


104/164

MAAEES

Faml Trchechidae

NEES l ve n topical and sbtopcal wates . TheWest nd ian Manatee i nhab its te coasta l wates and vesom loida thoghot mch o the Cai bbean . The Amazon Manatee l ives along the coast o Ba l and p schage ives as the Amaon and the Onoco A th dspeces, he West Acan Manatee, s ond in the wam

coastal wates o westen Aica .Mana tees may mease moe than 0 eet long andweigh as mch as ha l a ton, thogh they ae sal ly smal l -e. T he ta l i s onded and ha s no notch . T he ont l i ppes,which st l l bea diments o nai ls , a e so movable that theycan be sed like ams wen te animal wants to pll the

on o its body onto a shoe to gae biey on plants. The yong swm mainly by sng thei l ppes, bt adltsse thei lippes only o steeing and get the powe oswimmi ng om thei ta l .

Manatees have a sareo mle wth hihl lexi-bl e i ps that a e spl i t i n the midle, each hal nepenentlymovable. The lips ae sed with dexteity in pl ing plants

om the bottom o along shoe. Even the insides o the lipsae bstly, oming bshes that help move ood back tothe lattened teeth o cewing beoe it i s swal lowed .

Manatees ae sens i tive to cold and wi l l di e in poongedexpose to wate that is lowe than 70 Geneally tean imal s ae sol ita, bt di n peiods o cold , g ops o

a doen o moe may assemble in wam spings o inplaces whee thee is a low o wam wate om actoieso powe plants. I the cold comes on so q cky that theyhave not had time to move, they will die om expose. Amanatee, like a Dgong, saces reglaly or a new sp

02


105/164

WtST INDIANMANATEE

ply o oxygen I it becomes beached, it wi l l ty to ol l ontoits back to achieve moe cofot Othewise it will so-cate due to the pesse o its heavy body on its ib cage,as happens a l so with beached whale s

Manatee cows give bith to one cal that is nsed oabot o yeas beoe the cow can give bith again Thisslow ate o epoduction makes it extemely diiclt omanatees to incease thei poplation level, and explainswhy they ae endangeed

103


106/164

DUGONG

Fam DugngdaeUGOG is he only species in its family It lives in warmcoasal waters of the Indian, South acific, and North acific oceans, this habitat affording it some protection fromsharks (though not from pple)

About 9 feet long and rarey weighing more than 800pounds, he Dugong is smaller and more streamlined than

10


107/164

are manatees. ts wedgesaped tl is deply notched atthe midlie The front flippers show no evidence of naisMales have o tusks (the upper icisors) that my be as

much as 1 0 inches long Females bear a single cal everyother yearNomay a Dugong comes to the surface every five or

ten minutes to repenish its oxygen supply Ordinarily itfeeds at night Its world population is only a few thousandsMany are killed by hunters, others by boats or by thedestruction of their habitat


108/164

'

Famy Hydomadae

SEER'S SE C l ived in the cold wates o the NothPaci ic I t gew to a length o moe than 20 eet andweighed a s mch as 6 tonsmch lage than a ny o thel iving manatees

U n t i l 1 74 1 , this g ian t was n known In that year it was

discoveed y a ssan expediton and named o GeogStel le , the Geman natal i s who was sevi ng as ch ie sci-entist on the expedition Foced to spend the winte on theleak Commande Is lands in the Being Sea beeen Alaska and notheasten Asia ate thei sh ip wecked, the

06


109/164

xpos ond th hg, gy, wnky sa cows a tasyood, and thy potd th s to oths who p d th wats

Te ognal wol poplaton of telle's a Cow waspobably no mo than 2 ,000 an mas , bt by 1 768, on ys g hty mo than a qat o a cnty at ts d scovy,a had bn k ed , ma n l y by wha s , h n t s, an dxpoes ol lowng te Rs san exped ton op tat somemay ave escaped and b t a new poplaton s somtms bostd by sghtngs, bt thse hav so a povd

to b whales at than tl e s ea Cows St 's Sa Cow had an xtaod na y sma had o

sch a ag anma Its skn was ogh and amost scay,and ts cosy bnt pps w spasy covd wtha

107


110/164

, L, D LS

Or pa

Finfootd, o pinnipd, mammals, about 30 spcis, aso closly latd o th can ivos (p. 1 44) that som bio-oi sts classi f thm in th sam od.

P i n n i p d s hav a s t am l i n d body t ha t mak sswimmin asy. All mov cumsi ly on land. Thi ft a

fl ippl ik, with wbs btwn th tos. Th tai l is vyshot. Som hav small xna as, oths non. Boththi as and nosti s can b closd tightly whn th an i-ma ls d iv . P inn ipds a not , howv, as compt yadaptd to an aqat ic xi stnc as a th ctacans andth sinians, and thy must tun to land (o to ic) o iv bi th to th i youn and to ca fo thm unt i thy a

old nouh to tak to th sa. A thick lay of fat, o blub-b, j ust nd th skin in su lats thm fom he cold wat.

Al l p inn ipds a xce l lnt swimms and can d ivedply, som gu laly to 200 t and on ki ndth El -phant alto mo than ,000 ft! Th Wl alhas bn codd at a dpth of 2,000 ft. It can main

submd fo naly an hou. Bfo a pnnipd divs, itxha ls most of th ai in i ts luns . With most of th aixhaustd, it has a lmost no n iton that can b di ssolvdin its blood, and so it dos no dvlop "bnds" (o ps-su disas) whn it sufacs apidy. Pinnipds also hava at voum of bood p body wiht than do landanimals, and so they cay a age amont of oxygen. Idivs, howv, thi hat at (and thfo th uil ization of oxyn) is slowd, and th oxyn i s suppl id onlyto ssntia l oans.

Pi nn ipds l iv i n al l sas houghout th wold excpt i nth nothn pat of th Indan Ocan , bu t thy a most

108


111/164

eals ive an sim expert but must surface to breate air

abundant in cool ates. he hunting of them goes backbeyond itten histoy. Thei thick fu made am clothesand sheltes. Thei ich meat stoked hungy

Documents

Whales and Other Marine Mammals - A Golden Guide