Educational Resources

Whale Form and Function Lesson Resources
A sei whale made with model magic. A Narwhale made of Model Magic. A Model Magic sperm whale.


Right Whale
Body shape: large and stocky
Dorsal fin size and shape: no dorsal fin
Flipper size and shape: broad and spatulate
Fluke size and shape: broad, smooth, and concave rear margin with deep notch
Size difference between male and female: female is longer by about .2m
Head shape: narrow
How deep it dives: deep diver(50 meters)
How fast it swims: slow swimmer
Teeth/baleen size: baleen is long and narrow
Jaw shape: bowed lower jaw
What they eat: plankton
How they feed: sometimes feed on surface, but usually below the surface
Distribution: inhabits temperate and cooler seas

Special features:

  • callosites found on rostrum, behind blowholes, on the chin, above the eyes, and on the lower lip
  • hair found on chin and upper jaw




Blue Whale

Body shape: long and stream-lined
Dorsal fin size and shape: tiny and stubby, the shape varies
Flipper size and shape: broad with slightly concave or straight trailing edges and slightly notched
Fluke size and shape: large and irregular
Size difference between male and female: females slightly larger
Head shape: broad and flat
How deep it dives: deep diver(150m)
How fast it swims: usually swims moderately fast but can reach speed of 30 km/h
Teeth/baleen size: longest baleen plates of rorqual whales
Jaw shape: U-shaped
What they eat: krill
How they feed: shallow feeders
Distribution: mostly found in the North Atlantic, North Pacific, and southern hemisphere

Notes:

  • Blue whales are endangered.



    Gray Whale
    Body shape: robust
    Dorsal fin size and shape: dorsal hump with knuckles
    Flipper size and shape: small and paddle-shaped with rounded margins and pointed tips
    Fluke size and shape: broad with convex, usually ragged trailing edges and a distinct middle notch
    Size difference between male and female: females generally larger
    Head shape: long and conical
    How deep it dives: dive up to 120m deep
    How fast it swims: usually swims rather slow (2-5 knots)
    Teeth/baleen size: small baleen plates with long, course bristles
    Jaw shape: mouth slightly arched
    What they eat: krill and fish
    How they feed: feeds along the bottom of the ocean by rolling onto their right side and sucking up sediment containing amphipods; water and silt are sieved out
    Distribution: found in Arctic feeding grounds from April to November and Mexican breeding grounds from December to July

    Notes

  • A very active for a large whale (breaching, skyhopping, etc.).



    Narwhal
    Body shape: cylindrical
    Dorsal fin size and shape: small dorsal hump
    Flipper size and shape: short flippers that curve upward
    Fluke size and shape: concave leading edges and convex trailing edges
    Size difference between male and female: males are larger than females
    Head shape: proportionally small head with bulbous forehead and slight hint of beak
    How deep it dives: donšt dive very deep
    How fast it swims: fast swimmers
    Teeth/baleen size: have only two teeth in upper jaw and none in lower jaw
    Jaw shape: small jaw
    What they eat: squid, polar cod,demersal fish and crustaceans
    How they feed: hunt prey by stalking them near the surface of the water
    Distribution: most occur in Arctic or northern regions

    Special features

    • Males have a tusk extending from their foreheads.




    Sperm Whale
    Body shape: largest of toothed whales
    Dorsal fin size and shape: dorsal hump and knuckles (crenulations)
    Flipper size and shape: small and paddle-shaped
    Fluke size and shape: broad and triangular, straight on rear margin and deeply notched
    Size difference between male and female: the male is usually larger
    Head shape: huge and box-like
    How deep it dives: deeper than 1,000m
    How fast it swims: not very fast
    Teeth/baleen size: teeth on lower jaw are thick and conical and fit into sockets in the generally toothless jaw
    Jaw shape: underslung lower jaw
    What they eat: usually squid; also octopus and a variety of fish; have also been found to ingest rocks, sand, deep-sea sponges, and clams
    How they feed: usually below the surface and sometimes grub for food along the ocean bottom
    Distribution: found in all oceans of the world

    Special features:

    • have spermacetti oil in their heads for echolocation and buoyancy




    Common Dolphin
    Body shape: slender and stream-lined
    Dorsal fin size and shape: strongly falcate to nearly triangular in shape
    Flipper size and shape: broad shaped, leading edges are convex, and tips are slightly pointed
    Fluke size and shape: concave trailing edges with slight notch in the middle and pointed tips
    Size difference between male and female: males are slightly larger
    Head shape: prominent beak and smooth sloping forehead
    How deep it dives: to a depth of at least 280m
    How fast it swims: fast swimmer
    Teeth/baleen size: many small, sharply pointed teeth
    Jaw shape: narrow and long
    What they eat: primarily fish and squid
    How they feed: hunt near surface
    Distribution: occur in many enclosed waters; ex. Red Sea and Mediterranean

    Notes:

  • The Common Dolphin is an energetic acrobat and highly vocal.



    Killer Whale
    Body shape: robust and heavy
    Dorsal fin size and shape: tall and wide; falcate in females; triangular in males
    Flipper size and shape: broad and paddle-shaped
    Fluke size and shape: slightly concave trailing edge and distinct median notch
    Size difference between male and female: females usually less robust
    Head shape: conical
    How deep it dives: donšt dive very deep because they only stay under water about four minutes
    How fast it swims: can reach speeds of 55 km/h
    Teeth/baleen size: large, conical teeth that slant towards the throat
    Jaw shape: broad jaw
    What they eat: oceanic cetaceans and pinnipeds; penguins and other seabirds; sea turtles; a variety of fish; and even each other
    How they feed: hunt near surface of the water
    Distribution: occur among ice floes in polar latitudes, south to equatorial regions

    Special features
    • They generally do well in captivity and can be trained to do many tricks.




    Sei Whale
    Body shape: long and slender
    Dorsal fin size and shape: some are falcate in shape; all have a smooth trailing edge with a tip that points backwards
    Flipper size and shape: slender, relatively short flippers with pointed tips
    Fluke size and shape: roughly triangularly shaped with straight trailing edges, pointed tips, and a distinct notch in the middle
    Size difference between male and female: females are generally larger
    Head shape: slightly arched
    How deep it dives: usually only dives a few feet
    How fast it swims: capable of great speeds
    Teeth/baleen size: baleen bristles are silky in texture
    Jaw shape: narrow
    What they eat: krill, squid, and a variety of small schooling fish
    How they feed: skim the surface of the water
    Distribution: occur worldwide but seem to favor temperate and oceanic waters

    Notes:

  • little is known about Sei Whale migration because they are rarely seen.



    Humpback Whale
    Body shape: large and stocky
    Dorsal fin size and shape: low and stubby
    Flipper size and shape: exceptionally long with knobs along leading edges
    Fluke size and shape: broad with irregular, knobby edges
    Size difference between male and female: females generally larger than males
    Head shape: slender with knobs
    How deep it dives: dives deep, unknown depth
    How fast it swims: slow swimmer
    Teeth/baleen size: short and wide
    Jaw shape: narrow
    What they eat: krill and fish
    How they feed: lunge through patches of krill and fish stun prey by slapping them with flippers and flukes
    Distribution: spends winter in high-latitude, cold-water feeding grounds and summer in low-latitude, warm-water breeding grounds




    Amazon River Dolphin
    Body shape: thickset and plump
    Dorsal fin size and shape: small, low, long, and ridge-like
    Flipper size and shape: large and triangular in shape
    Fluke size and shape: broad with ragged trailing edges, a distinct notch in the middle, and pointed tips
    Size difference between male and female: males are normally larger
    Head shape: rounded with a long beak
    How fast it swims: slow-moving(between 1.6 and 3.2 km)
    Teeth/baleen size: conical teeth towards the front of the mouth; rear molar form toward the rear of the mouth
    Jaw shape: long and narrow
    What they eat: crustaceans and a variety of fish including armored fish
    How they feed: use echolocation to locate prey and then seize them in their long beaks
    Distribution: most common at turbulent junctions of rivers and tributaries, just below rapids, and close to shore in various rivers in South America

    Special Features:

  • Amazon River Dolphins have very small eyes.


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