Welcome to the wonderful world of whales. Here you will learn about the different types of whales, their migration, size and much, much more. So put your seatbelts on because you're about to go on a wild whale rollercoaster.
There are many different types of whales but not all of them go to Antarctica so I will tell you about the ones that do.
Humpback Whale Killer Whale Blue Whale Sperm Whale Fin Whale
Southern Right Whale Sei Whale Minke Whale
Description
The most obvious thing about this whale is the hump on its back this is a fairly large clue as to how this whale got its name. It also has darkly coloured skin and is also recognised for its wonderful under water singing. Not only is this whale beautiful but it's also very clever with its unique hunting technique it manages to hunt for food in a very extraordinary way.
Migration
Humpback whales (like many other whales) make very long journeys for their migration from the tropics down to the cold waters of Antarctica. In winter they make their way to the tropics to mate and calve and in summer they go all the way down to Antarctica to feed.
They travel at the pace of 4 - 14 kph.
Diet
Humpback whales (like all baleen whales) are carnivores. They eat krill, plankton and small fish. Humpback whales have a very interesting way of hunting and it is much too complex for me to explain so i am going to let this video do all the talking.
Blue Whale Balaenoptera musculus Length: 27m
Weight: 109 tonnes
Life span: 90 years
Birth length: 6-7m
Birth weight: 3.3 tonnes
Population: 12,000
Classification: Baleen
http://www.freewebs.com/cetaceanrc/BlueWhale1.jpg
Description The Blue whale is a very large mammal,the largest in the whole world! Not only is this whale big but it is also very, very loud! Like the Humpback whale this whale also has a fairly obvious conclusion about how it got its name, it's BLUE!!!
Migration
Blue whales (like many other whales) make very long journeys for their migration from the tropics down to the cold waters of Antarctica. In winter they make their way to the tropics to mate and calve and in summer they go all the way down to Antarctica to feed.
Blue whalesare very fast swimmers they can travel at a pace of 5 - 48 kph.
Diet
Blue whales (like all baleen whales) are carnivores. They eat krill, plankton and small fish. The Blue whale (like many other whales) has a very interesting hunting technique. First the blue whale will take a large mouthful of water then they will force water out of their spout using their tongue. This leaves thousands of pieces of krill left in their mouths.
Description
The Killer whale or orca is a toothed whale that is at the top of the food chain, it even eats other whales! The only major threat to this whale is humans. It may not be the biggest whale but it's definitely the most dangerous. The Killer whale is dark in colour, it has big white spots on its back and has a large dorsal fin. Believe it or not the Killer whale belongs to the dolphin family!
Migration
Killer whales are found in all waters at any time unlike most other whales who follow a seasonal route. Instead of following climate and seasons the killer whale follows their food.
Diet
Killer whales eat many different things some of them include fish, squids, seals, sea lions, walruses, birds, sea turtles, penguins . And very rarely polar bears and reptiles,once a killer whale even ate a moose! Somtimes killer whales eat other whales and somtimes they even eat other killer whales.
Minke Whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata Length: 8 - 10.2
Description The Minke whale is the smallest baleen whale only weighing 15 tonnes (which isn't very much compared to other whales)! Minke whales are dark in colour, they also have a thick white band around their flippers. Like all baleen whales they have two blowholes on the top of their heads.
Migration
Like most other whales Minke whales migrate to the tropics during winter to breed and then to Polar regions to feed.
Diet
Minke whales (like all baleen whales) are carnivores. They eat krill, plankton and fish. Like all baleen whales the Minke whale has Baleen plates which separate the food from the water. First they take a mouthful of water they then push the water out of their spout. This leaves thousands of pieces of krill.
Southern Right Whale Eubalaena australis Length: 18.3m
Southern Right whales are Baleen whales, they are the fourth largest baleen whale. They are about the size of a large bus. They may not be the most beautiful whale and may look like they do nothing but they are actually great acrobats.
Migration
In the winter and Spring the Southern Whales make their way to South Africa to mate and calve. Then in Summer they make their way down to the cold waters of Antarctica to feed.
Diet
Southern Right Whales like all Baleen whales are carnivores. They feed on krill, plankton and small fish. Like all baleen whales the Minke whale has Baleen plates which separate the food from the water. First they take a mouthful of water they then push the water out of their spout. This leaves thousands of pieces of krill.
Description
Sei whales are baleen whales, they are the third largest baleen whale. The Sei whale and the Brydes whale look very much alike. They are both thin and streamlined. they are also both dark in colour and both have a white under belly.
Migration
The Sei whale migrates using a seasonal route. They travel to the tropics in winter to calve and in summer they make their way down to Antarctica to feed.
Diet
The Sei whale (like all baleen whales) are carnivores. They feed on krill, plankton, small fish, squid and copepods. Like all baleen whales the Sei whale has Baleen plates which separate the food from the water. First they take a mouthful of water they then use their tongue to push the water out of their spout . This leaves thousands of pieces of krill behind.
Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus
Length: 18m.
Sperm whales are toothed whales, they are in fact, the largest toothed whale there is. Their brain alone can weigh up to 9 kg! they have the largest brain of all kinds of animals. They have one large blowhole on their head and they travel in groups called pods.
Migration
The sperm whales migrate differently to many other whales. The females and calves tend to stay in tropical and sub-tropical areas while the males tend to roam around the polar regions in summer to feed they then return to the females in winter for breeding season.
Diet
Sperm whales (like all toothed whales) are carnivores. They feed on giant squid, fish and octopus. On the off coasts of Indonesia three sperm whales were found attaking a rare megamoath shark! Did you know that a sperm whale eats one ton of food a day!!!
The fin whale is a baleen whale, it is the second largest baleen whale.The fin whale is long and thin. It has a grey back and a white under belly. The Fin whale has a small dorsal fin that is located far back on its body.
Migration
Like most other whales the fin whale migrates using a seasonal route. In winter they are located in sub tropical areas to calve. They then make their way down to Antarctica to feed.
Diet
Minke whales (like all baleen whales) are carnivores. They eat krill, plankton and fish. Like all baleen whales the Minke whale has Baleen plates which separate the food from the water. First they take a mouthful of water they then push the water out of their spout. This leaves thousands of pieces of krill.
WHALES
Welcome to the wonderful world of whales. Here you will learn about the different types of whales, their migration, size and much, much more. So put your seatbelts on because you're about to go on a wild whale rollercoaster.
There are many different types of whales but not all of them go to Antarctica so I will tell you about the ones that do.
Humpback Whale Killer Whale Blue Whale Sperm Whale Fin Whale
Southern Right Whale Sei Whale Minke Whale
HUMPBACK WHALE
Megaptera novaeangliae
Length: 15-18m
Weight:40 tonnes
Life span: 50 years
Birth length: 4 - 5m
Birth weight: 2000kg
Population: 30 000 - 40 000
Classification: Baleen
http://www.lifeinthefastlane.ca/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/humpback_whale_sfw.jpg
Description
The most obvious thing about this whale is the hump on its back this is a fairly large clue as to how this whale got its name. It also has darkly coloured skin and is also recognised for its wonderful under water singing. Not only is this whale beautiful but it's also very clever with its unique hunting technique it manages to hunt for food in a very extraordinary way.
Migration
Humpback whales (like many other whales) make very long journeys for their migration from the tropics down to the cold waters of Antarctica. In winter they make their way to the tropics to mate and calve and in summer they go all the way down to Antarctica to feed.
They travel at the pace of 4 - 14 kph.
Diet
Humpback whales (like all baleen whales) are carnivores. They eat krill, plankton and small fish. Humpback whales have a very interesting way of hunting and it is much too complex for me to explain so i am going to let this video do all the talking.
Blue Whale
Balaenoptera musculus
Weight: 109 tonnes
Life span: 90 years
Birth length: 6-7m
Birth weight: 3.3 tonnes
Population: 12,000
Classification: Baleen
http://www.freewebs.com/cetaceanrc/BlueWhale1.jpg
Description
The Blue whale is a very large mammal,the largest in the whole world! Not only is this whale big but it is also very, very loud! Like the Humpback whale this whale also has a fairly obvious conclusion about how it got its name, it's BLUE!!!
Migration
Blue whales (like many other whales) make very long journeys for their migration from the tropics down to the cold waters of Antarctica. In winter they make their way to the tropics to mate and calve and in summer they go all the way down to Antarctica to feed.
Blue whalesare very fast swimmers they can travel at a pace of 5 - 48 kph.
Diet
Blue whales (like all baleen whales) are carnivores. They eat krill, plankton and small fish. The Blue whale (like many other whales) has a very interesting hunting technique. First the blue whale will take a large mouthful of water then they will force water out of their spout using their tongue. This leaves thousands of pieces of krill left in their mouths.
Killer Whales
Orcinus orca
Length: 9.8m
Weight: 11.1 tonnes
Life span: 35-50 years
Birth length: 2 - 2.5m
Birth weight: 180kg
Population: 100,000
Classification: toothed whale
http://www.maniacworld.com/killer-whale.jpg
Description
The Killer whale or orca is a toothed whale that is at the top of the food chain, it even eats other whales! The only major threat to this whale is humans. It may not be the biggest whale but it's definitely the most dangerous. The Killer whale is dark in colour, it has big white spots on its back and has a large dorsal fin. Believe it or not the Killer whale belongs to the dolphin family!
Migration
Killer whales are found in all waters at any time unlike most other whales who follow a seasonal route. Instead of following climate and seasons the killer whale follows their food.
Diet
Killer whales eat many different things some of them include fish, squids, seals, sea lions, walruses, birds, sea turtles, penguins . And very rarely polar bears and reptiles,once a killer whale even ate a moose! Somtimes killer whales eat other whales and somtimes they even eat other killer whales.
Minke Whale
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
Weight: 6 - 15 tonnes
Life span: 30 - 50 years
Birth length: 2.4 - 2.8m
Birth weight: 400kg
Population: 500 000
Classification: Baleen
http://www.7seas-whalewatch.com/usercontent/image/minke%20breach%20copy.jpg
Description
The Minke whale is the smallest baleen whale only weighing 15 tonnes (which isn't very much compared to other whales)! Minke whales are dark in colour, they also have a thick white band around their flippers. Like all baleen whales they have two blowholes on the top of their heads.
Migration
Like most other whales Minke whales migrate to the tropics during winter to breed and then to Polar regions to feed.
Diet
Minke whales (like all baleen whales) are carnivores. They eat krill, plankton and fish. Like all baleen whales the Minke whale has Baleen plates which separate the food from the water. First they take a mouthful of water they then push the water out of their spout. This leaves thousands of pieces of krill.
Southern Right Whale
Eubalaena australis
Length: 18.3m
Weight: 80 tonnes
Life span: about 60 years
Birth length: 4 - 6m
Birth weight: 1 - 1.5
Population: 7,500 - 8,000
Classification: Baleen
http://www.navy.mil.za/archive/0810/081023_whales/pic02.jpg
Description
Southern Right whales are Baleen whales, they are the fourth largest baleen whale. They are about the size of a large bus. They may not be the most beautiful whale and may look like they do nothing but they are actually great acrobats.
Migration
In the winter and Spring the Southern Whales make their way to South Africa to mate and calve. Then in Summer they make their way down to the cold waters of Antarctica to feed.
Diet
Southern Right Whales like all Baleen whales are carnivores. They feed on krill, plankton and small fish. Like all baleen whales the Minke whale has Baleen plates which separate the food from the water. First they take a mouthful of water they then push the water out of their spout. This leaves thousands of pieces of krill.
Sei Whale
Balaenoptera borealis
Length: 17 - 20m
Weight: 33 tonnes
Life span: 60 years
Birth length: 4.5m
Birth weight: 650 - 800kg
Population: 80 000
Classification: Baleen
http://www.biosphere-expeditions.org/images/stories/azores/sei1.jpg
Description
Sei whales are baleen whales, they are the third largest baleen whale. The Sei whale and the Brydes whale look very much alike. They are both thin and streamlined. they are also both dark in colour and both have a white under belly.
Migration
The Sei whale migrates using a seasonal route. They travel to the tropics in winter to calve and in summer they make their way down to Antarctica to feed.
Diet
The Sei whale (like all baleen whales) are carnivores. They feed on krill, plankton, small fish, squid and copepods. Like all baleen whales the Sei whale has Baleen plates which separate the food from the water. First they take a mouthful of water they then use their tongue to push the water out of their spout . This leaves thousands of pieces of krill behind.
Sperm Whale
Physeter macrocephalus
Length: 18m.
Weight: 63 tonnes
Life span:60-70 years
Birth length: 3.5 - 4.5m
Birth weight: 500 - 800kg
population: 1 million
Classification: toothed whale
http://iamyouasheisme.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/080625-sperm-whales-hmed-915a-h2.jpg
Description
Sperm whales are toothed whales, they are in fact, the largest toothed whale there is. Their brain alone can weigh up to 9 kg! they have the largest brain of all kinds of animals. They have one large blowhole on their head and they travel in groups called pods.
Migration
The sperm whales migrate differently to many other whales. The females and calves tend to stay in tropical and sub-tropical areas while the males tend to roam around the polar regions in summer to feed they then return to the females in winter for breeding season.
Diet
Sperm whales (like all toothed whales) are carnivores. They feed on giant squid, fish and octopus. On the off coasts of Indonesia three sperm whales were found attaking a rare megamoath shark! Did you know that a sperm whale eats one ton of food a day!!!
Fin Whale
Balaenoptera physalus
Length: 25m
Weight: 50 - 130 tonnes
Life span:90 years
Birth length:6-6.5m
Birth weight:2000kg
Population: 85 000
Classification: Baleen
http://ecolocalizer.com/2007/12/21/australia-combats-japanese-whaling/
Description
The fin whale is a baleen whale, it is the second largest baleen whale.The fin whale is long and thin. It has a grey back and a white under belly. The Fin whale has a small dorsal fin that is located far back on its body.
Migration
Like most other whales the fin whale migrates using a seasonal route. In winter they are located in sub tropical areas to calve. They then make their way down to Antarctica to feed.
Diet
Minke whales (like all baleen whales) are carnivores. They eat krill, plankton and fish. Like all baleen whales the Minke whale has Baleen plates which separate the food from the water. First they take a mouthful of water they then push the water out of their spout. This leaves thousands of pieces of krill.
Interesting Pictures
Blue Whale size comparison
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Bluewhale.shtml
Whale migration
http://www.whales.org.au/discover/blue/blued.html
Bibliography
- Whales American Cetacean Society 15/07/10
http://www.acsonline.org/factpack.htm- Whales Enchanted Learning 15/07/10
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/specie.shtml- Whale migration Whale Route 15/07/10
http://www.whaleroute.com/migrate/- Whales Wikipedia 15/07/10
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_whale- Whales National Geographic 15/07/10
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals.html- Whales Australian Fuana 15/07/10
http://www.australianfauna.com/bluewhale.php