A fine, comb-like substance in the mouths of certain whales. It allows them to strain ocean water through their mouths, trapping tiny bits of food. Baleen is also sometimes called “whalebone.”
Barnacles:
Small shelled parasites which attach themselves to the skin of certain slow-moving species of whales.
Blackfish:
The name given to the toothed whales which are closely related to dolphins. These whales include the Killer Whale and the Pilot Whale.
Blow:
The spray of air and water vapor given off by a whale from its blow-hole when it surfaces to breathe.
Blubber:
A thick layer of insulating fat beneath the skin of whales, to help keep them warm in cold water.
Bow Riding (or Wake Riding):
The actions of cetaceans, usually dolphins, who enjoy riding along on the waves produced by the bow (at the front) or the wake (at the back) of a boat.
Breaching:
The act performed by a whale which leaps out of the water head-first, landing with a splash.
Callosities:
Rough, whitish growths found on the heads of Right Whales. The growths are made of a substance similar to sheep’s horns.
Cetacea:
The order to which all whales, dolphins and porpoises belong. Cetaceans are mammals which have adapted to life under water.
Dolphins:
Small, toothed members of the cetacean family. Most have beaks, and are very fast and acrobatic swimmers.
Dorsal Fin:
The raised fin found on the back of most (but not all) cetaceans.
Echolocation:
The technique many cetaceans use to “see” underwater. It involves sending out sound waves which bounce off objects and return to the sender.
Extinct:
The term used to describe a species when no living members remain.
Flukes:
The powerful lobes of a cetacean’s tail.
Krill:
A small shrimp-like sea creature which is a prime food for many of the baleen whales.
Lobtailing:
A whale smacking its tail on the surface while most of the whale’s body remains underwater.
Logging:
The name given to the way whales “sleep” by floating motionlessly against the ocean current.
Mesonychid:
A small, wolf-like creature of 50 million years ago, believed to have been the common ancestor of whales and farm animals such as goats, sheep, horses and cows.
Plankton:
Small ocean creatures ranging in size from microscopic to a few inches long. They are the main food source for Baleen whales.
Pod:
The name given to a group of cetaceans. Dolphins, porpoises and toothed whales are most likely to travel in pods.
Porpoises:
The smallest members of the cetacean family, usually shy and slow swimmers. The word “porpoise” comes from Latin words meaning “pig fish.”
Porpoising:
Leaping out of the water while swimming forward at high speed. Despite the name, dolphins and not porpoises are normally associated with this behavior.
Rooster Tailing:
The name given to the actions of cetaceans which swim rapidly along the surface, producing a great deal of spray. Dall’s Porpoise is particularly noted for this behavior.
Rorqual Whales:
The name given to some of the large baleen whales. Comes from a Norwegian word meaning “furrow,” referring to the folds of skin along the throat of these whales, which include the Blue, Fin, Minke, Sei and Humpback.
Spermaceti:
An oily substance found in the bulbous head of Sperm Whales. It helps them dive and return to the surface by controlling their buoyancy, or ability to float.
Spyhopping:
A whale raising its head vertically out of the water to search for predators or prey.
Stranding:
The name given to the actions of otherwise healthy-looking whales which suddenly swim onto dry land. This problem may be caused by pollution or disturbances in the earth’s magnetic field.
Whales:
Any of the larger members of the cetacean family, streamlined mammals which live underwater but breathe air. The word “whale” has the same origin as the word “wheel,” perhaps since whales look a bit like rotating wheels when they surface for air.
