How many types of whales are there?
Whales are one of the largest sea mammals belonging to the family of infraorder Cetacea. They are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully aquatic placental marine species who roam across the oceans of the world, especially the North Pacific and the Atlantic. Both these oceans are their chosen breeding grounds. Their sheer size is simply mind-blowing; an adult blue whale is more than 100 feet long and can weigh up to 200 tonnes, almost equivalent to the weight of 33 elephants.
Whales lead the balanced order of the food chain and have a massive role in maintaining the aquatic ecosystem. They also hugely contribute to prevent the climate crisis across the world by absorbing toxic carbon from the atmosphere. In fact, statistics by WWF states that every individual whale seizes approximately 33 tonnes of CO2 on an average.
However, unfortunately, their gigantic size isn’t enough to safeguard whales. They are classified as endangered or vulnerable, even after decades of conservation. Surveys and reports show that at least 300,000 whales are killed each year as a result of illegal poaching, while many others lose their lives to marine accidents and habitat loss. There are many different kinds of whales, out of which five are more popular. Let us find out why.
North Atlantic Right Whales
They can be easily recognised by white calluses on their heads. They are largely endangered with only 300-350 of them still left. This species of whales travel near the coastal waters especially during their breeding season. As the name suggests, these right whales swim in the North Atlantic and have a broad back with no dorsal fins and a long arching mouth. They eat planktons with the mouths wide open.
Gray whale
Also known as the Pacific Gray whale, this species migrates between feeding and breeding shallow grounds twice annually. Found essentially in the northern Pacific waters, these whales travel from Alaska to Russia to Mexico to Canada and USA. They too lack a dorsal fin, but have humps and sharp bumps on their posterior. They filter food from the water through their thin mouths. Gray whales are often considered ‘friendly’ by boatsmen as they have an inclination to come out of water and check out the tourists.
Bowhead whale
They may be among the longest-surviving animals on earth. In fact, after a thorough research, scientists have concluded that bowhead whales live up to 200 years. They are predominantly found in the Arctic region and are associated with ice floes. Their movement patterns are therefore influenced by the freezing and melting of the frozen waters. They are so powerful that they can break through seven inches thick ice layer with their enormous skulls. An adult bowhead is shiny black except a white and upturned lower jaw.
Fin whale
Also known as the razorback whale, fin whales are just second in size to the blue whale and are distinguishable by their asymmetric colouration. They are normally grey with a white underside, contrasting bright white lower right jaw and a black lower left jaw, a white baleen on front of the mouth. They eat using baleen plates and pushing their preys into deep waters. Found across all the major oceans of the world, fin whales are often called the ‘greyhound of the sea’ because of their quick speed.
Blue whale
The blue whale is the largest animal on the planet. There’s a joke in the science community that the blue whale’s heart is the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. They are also the loudest animals on earth (louder than a jet engine!), with their calls far exceeding 190 decibels. Their whistles can be heard from a long distance that are presumed to attract their mates. Blue whales need to eat about four tonnes of krill (Crustacean plankton) to survive. This endangered species is still found in Southern Chile, Gulf of California and Coral triangle.