Whales and Dolphins

Narwhal

A small Arctic Whale. Remarkable for the spiral tusk that projects from the male's upper jaw. It is thought to be a sensory organ. But it is also used for fighting and attracting a mate.

Spinner Dolphin

A small dolphin found in off-shore tropical waters around the world. It is famous for its acrobatic displays

Pacific White-Sided Dolphin

A very active dolphin found in the cool to temperate waters of the North Pacific Ocean.

Orca

Also known as the Killer Whale. This is actually the largest dolphin in the world. It uses its intelligence and power to stalk and seize prey ranging from small fish to sharks, seals, and even whales. It is the Top Predator of the oceans.

Striped Dolphin

Among the most abundant and widespread dolphins in the world. They prefer deep tropical to warm temperate oceanic waters.

Sperm Whale

By far the biggest of the Toothed Whales, it has an enormous box-shaped head. It dives the deepest of any mammal, diving at immense depths to prey on Giant Squid.

Pygmy Right Whale

Caperea marginata

Common Dolphin

Fast-moving, acrobatic, playful animals. This is one of the most widespread species, it has a pattern of white, yellow, black, and gray.

Atlantic Spotted Dolphin

Found in the tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Have bodies covered with spots.

Risso's dolphin

Grampus griseus

Pygmy Sperm Whale

Kogia breviceps

Gray Whale

Mainly feeds on animals such as clams, worms, and crab-like crustactans gathered from the seabed. It does this by swimming along the bottom of the seabed.

True's Beaked Whale

Mesoplodon mirus

Cuvier's Beaked Whale

Named for the beak-like snouts, this mysterious animal is rarely seen because they live in open ocean. This is the most widespread of the beaked whales.

Indus River Dolphin

Once found throughout the Indus River, but several dams have been built on the river, preventing them from swimming up and down.

Amazon River Dolphin

One of a small number of freshwater dolphins, this lives in muddy waters, where it hunts largely by underwater echolocation. Hunting fish, crabs, and turtles with their long snout lined with teeth.

Southern Right Whale

Over the centuries, so many of these have been killed due to whaling. They have blunt heads with enormous rows of baleen plates. They feed on plankton.

False Killer Whale

Pseudorca crassidens

Humpback Whale

Renowned for its spectacular leaps right out of the water. It is an ocean giant that feed by filtering seawater for small animals. Also know for its migration.

Common Bottlenose Dolphin

Small toothed whales adapted for fast swimming in pursuit of prey. This is the most well-known species- a highly social, very intelligent animal with a complex form of language and an ability to learn new skills.

Harbor Porpoise

Spends most of its life close to the coast in shallow seas offshore. It sometimes swims in estuaries and harbors. They are not often seen because they rarely jump out of the water and tend to avoid moving boats.

Blue Whale

The Largest Mammal and the Biggest Animal that has ever lived, outweighing even the largest dinosaurs. It feeds by taking a huge mass of water and krill into its mouth and trap the krill in its baleen plates.

Vaquita

The Smallest and rarest porpoise, it is found in very shallow waters and feeds on fish and squid. Because of its limited range it is the most seriously endangered of all marine mammals. Current population is 10!

Bowhead Whale

The high-arched jaw of this whale is adapted for straining prey from the water as it swims forward. This Arctic Species can live up to 200 years.

Beluga

This Arctic Whale is closely related to the Narwhal it is unique among whales for its all-white skin. Highly social, it lives in groups that gather in crowds of hundreds or even thousands.

Long-Finned Pilot Whale

This is a large dolphin, but with an unusually bulbous forehead. It contains the melon, which all toothed whales have. Used for echolocation clicks, enabling it to detect prey in dark water.

Minke Whale

This is the worlds smallest baleen whale. It makes up a large part of killer whale diet in the antarctic

Cetaceans

Whales, dolphins, porpoises Marine mammals with fish-shaped bodies, paddle-like forelimbs and no hind limbs, thick layer of insulating blubber

Dall's Porpoise

common in the North Pacific Ocean and can be found off the U.S. West Coast from California to the Bering Sea in Alaska. It is the largest of all porpoises. They are very active and incredibly fast

Fin Whale

the second largest mammal in the world. They have a distinct ridge along their back behind the dorsal fin and are the fastest swimming baleen whales.