Abstract The Blue whale is the largest creature of the sea, in fact, it is the largest creature known to man. Contrary to what most people think, even though Blue whales live in the sea, they are mammals. They breathe air, have their babies born alive and can live anywhere from 30 to 70 years. The Blue whale is a baleen whale, and instead of having teeth, Blue whales have around 300-400 baleen plates in their mouths. They fall under the category of the rorquals, which are the largest of the baleen family. The scientific name of the Blue whale is, Balsenoptera musculus. Key Words: Balaenoptera musculus, Suborder Mysticeti, balaenoptera intermedia, balaenoptera brevicauds, baleen whale, rorqual, calf, sulfur bottom, Sibbald's Rorqual, Great Northern Rorqual, gulpers, blowholes, blubber, oil, keratin, krill, copepods, plankton, orcas, endangered Introduction Whales are separated into two groups, the baleen and the toothed whales. The blue whale is the largest baleen whale and the largest animal that ever lived on Earth, including the largest dinosaurs. Baleen are rows of coarse, bristle-like fibers used to strain plankton from the water. Baleen is made of keratin, the same material as our fingernails. They live in pods, the have two blowholes. The blue whale has a 2-14 inch (5-30cm) thick layer of blubber. Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) are baleen whales (Suborder Mysticeti). They are one of 76 species and are marine mammals. Background The Blue whale is called a "rorqual", a Norwegian word for "furrow" referring to the pleated grooves running from its chin to its naval. The pleated throat grooves allow the Blue whale's throat to expand during the huge intake of water during filter feeding; they can "hold 1,000 tons or more of food and water when fully expanded" (Small 1971). Blue whales have 50-70 throat grooves. Blue whales grow up to about 80 feet (25m) long on average, weighing about 120 tons.
Blue Whales Abstract The Blue whale is the largest creature of the sea, in fact, it is the largest creature known to man. ... The Blue whale is a baleen whale, and instead of having teeth, Blue whales have around 300-400 baleen plates in their mouths. ... Blue whales have 50-70 throat grooves. ... The blue whale's skin is usually blue-gray with white-gray spots. ... The Blue Whale. ...
The Blue whale is a baleen whale, and instead of having teeth, Blue whales have around 300-400 baleen plates in their mouths. ... Blue whales have 50-70 throat grooves. ... The blue whale's skin is usually blue-gray with white-gray spots. ... Blue whales are an endangered species. ... The Blue Whale. ...
Friedenscreich Hundertwasser-"Song of the Whales- This piece of artwork, which is called "Song of the Whales-, is one of three prints in a triptych made by Friedenscreich Hundertwasser, carved in Tokyo/Vienna from 1978-1979. The materials used were a Japanese woodcut in 34 colours in two versions; blue 1-150 and green 151-250. ... Hovering above them are three dark tadpole shapes which are whales. Two of the whales are entering on the right side of the picture. ... Hundertwasser created "Song of the Whales- for greenpeace. ...
The various colorful fish illuminate the underwater scene like a rainbow that stands out in the infinite blue sky. As the gleam of the sun hits the ocean, a large black tail glistens in the sun as a large whale breaks the crest of the water. Whales are extra special with their uniqueness and their presence in the ocean. ... Then, the clear blue/green water satisfies the eye with its mellow color. ... A smile came across my face as soon as I saw the whales clash and perform in the water just for my enjoyment. ...
The scientific order of all types of whales is Cetacea. This large order is broken down into three further groups as well: the toothed whales or Odontoceti, which includes killer whales, dolphins, porpoises, beluga whales, and sperm whales, the baleen whales or Mysticeti, which include blue whales, humpback whales, gray whales, and right whales, and the Archaeoceti order, which are all now extinct. ... The killer whale has a sleek, streamlined body. ... Killer whales live in groups called pods. ... Killer whales often hunt in pods for their food. ...
Description The Orca also known as the Killer Whale or the scientific name Orcinus orca is really not a whale. ... Male whales have straight, tall (up to 6 foot) dorsal or fins, while females have shorter (3 foot) sickle shaped dorsal fins. Killer whales have 46 to 50 cone-shaped teeth that interlock and are used to tear and grasp. ... Packs or groups of Orcas are capable of killing and eating a blue whale. ... Two or more pods may come together to form superpods of 150 or more whales. ...
The water was a brilliant shade of blue and the sky was bright and clear, with only a few clouds present. ... They were able to see the whale from its spout of water it blows out when coming up for air, and identified it as a finback whale. ... A whale! ... A humpback whale? ... These whales were not often sighted. ...
The blue whale is the largest animal on earth ever. ... Whales breath through blowholes that are positioned on the top of its head. Unlike us humans, whales can choose when they take a breath. ... Another way the whale has adapted is that they don't sleep. ... Blue whales communicate with other whales by making sounds. ...
