Whales and Dophins

Whales and Dolphins are marine animals. They live in oceans around the world. Whales and Dolphins come from the same family, CETACEA (sey-tay-sha) . They both breath from a blowhole located at the top of their head. Whales and dolpins are mammals. They are mammals because they have lungs not gills,they have hair not scales , and they also have give live birth and don't lay eggs. There are only about 80 kinds of whales and dolphins that we know of right now.

Whales

Whales are very large animals. They can grow up to 100 ft. or more in length. They can weigh up to 200 tons or more. Whales live in families called pods. These pods vary in numbers and consist of family members and family friends. Whales live in these families their whole life. Group living is safer when other whales or sharks attack. It also makes it easier to find food. Whales are always migrating. They travel to find food, breed and have young.

Whales do not have eyelids. They rely on thick oily tears to protect their eyes. Whales hear from little holes behind their eyes.

Whales talk to each other by making high pitched sounds like whistles, clicks, squeaks, rattles, and groans.

To help protect the whales from extinction please DO NOT throw nets, fishing lures, or other fishing gear ocean.

THIS IS A BLUE WHALE.

THIS IS A BELUGA WHALE.

DOLPHINS

Dolphins live with the whales in the oceans. But dolphins come much closer to the shore. They will come as close to the shore as you or I can walk without going under water. Dolphins have teeth.

Looking at a dolphin you would not think it as a nose, but surprise...it does! They have nostrils called blowholes. Over millions of years of evoloution whales and dolphins nostrils moved to the top of their head. This allows them to breath by surfacing instead of them sticking their whole head out of the water.

The first thing a newborn dolphin must do is to go to the surface to breathe. But the baby can not swim so its mother and a another dolphin will help push the baby to the surface for its first breath of air. The baby will be able to swim in about 30 min.

Dolphins are fast swimmers. When a speeding boat passes the bottlenose dolphin, it will start to race out in front . They will take off hitting the water and keep going.

Dolphins navigate by following the hills and mountains of the ocean floor, by tracking the sun, by sensing currents, and by tasting the water along the journey.

A dolphin's sound probably originated in its nasal passages. These nasal passages are located on the top of the head. Dolphins can make sounds to see what lies ahead. This sense is called echolocations. The dolphins' sound waves hit an object and the echo bounces back. Echolocation sounds are called sprays. Sprays are so strong they can stun another whale. Dolphins don't "point" their melons at any other sealife except their enemies.

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