74 years ago from this very day, Lt. Col. Waldon C. Winston witnessed and documented what he noted as the largest whale to have ever been weighed. Winston was aboard the Kyo Maru No.6. during the 1947/48 Antarctic whaling season as an observer to ensure the Japanese whalers complied with the International Whaling Regulations and directives issued by General Douglass MacArthur.
Classification: Whales & Dolphins
Bottlenose Dolphin, adult and calf (Monterey Bay Aquarium by Safari Ltd)
4 (4 votes)
A creature that needs no introduction, the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). The common bottlenose dolphin is a very widely-distributed species, covering the temperate and tropical waters of the world. With the species-level taxonomy still in revision, the Indo-pacific bottlenose dolphin (T. aduncus) was split from T.truncatus in 2000 and 3 subspecies are currently recognized: the common subspecies (T.t.truncatus) Lahille’s (T.t.gephyreus), Black sea bottlenose dolphins (T.t.ponticus).
Pacific White-Sided Dolphin (Monterey Bay Aquarium Collection by Safari Ltd.)
4.8 (5 votes)
While the more popular cetacean species exist in most parts of the world, there exist many that are confined to their own little corner of the ocean, such as the North Pacific white-sided dolphin (Sagmatias obliquidens). These dolphins exist across the entire span of the North Pacific.
Commerson’s Dolphin (SeaWorld)
4.3 (3 votes)
Review and images by EpicRaptorMan; edited by bmathison1972
This small dolphin is known from an assortment of common names some of which include: the panda dolphin, skunk dolphin, jacobita, and Commerson’s dolphin, just to name a few. This cetacean was first described in 1767 by the French naturalist Dr. Philibert Commerson while exploring the waters around the southern tip of South America and was scientifically named Cephalorhynchus commersonii in 1804.
Blue Whale (Mega Sofubi Advance by Kaiyodo)
4.3 (12 votes)
There are many iterations of a fabled, island-sized sea monster across various cultures, which were in no doubt inspired by early accounts of animals such as the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus). Blue whales exist in all major oceans, but precise distributions are patchy and their migratory movements are poorly understood.
Sei Whale (Wild Safari Sealife by Safari Ltd.)
5 (3 votes)
Off the Norwegian coasts, a species of whale is known to appear alongside schools of pollock, thus the sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis) is aptly named the ”pollock whale” in their language. Though recent genetic studies warrant the revision of the Balaenoptera genus, data shows that the sei whale is the blue whale’s (B.
Sperm Whale, 2019 (Wild Safari Sealife by Safari Ltd.)
4.7 (6 votes)
Review and images by Cachalot; edited by bmathison1972
Recently I have gotten interested in sea animals, whales in particular. The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is my favorite; it is an animal of extremes. It has the largest brain on earth, 17 to 20 pounds. There are music ditties about this creature being brainy.
Humpback Whale, adult and calf (Monterey Bay Aquarium Collection by Safari Ltd.)
5 (7 votes)
The sounds of whales often fill the ambiance of the ocean, and none are more popular than the songs of the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). This species traditionally occupies the sole Balaenopterid genus outside of Balaenoptera, but molecular studies position the humpback as the closest relative of the fin whale (B.phylsaus), rendering Balaenoptera paraphyletic.
Hector’s Dolphin (NZ Wildlife Figures Pack by Stewart Sales & Services)
4.7 (3 votes)
Out of the 90+ species of cetaceans, only one is endemic to New Zealand, the Hector’s dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori). Within the Delphinidae family, this species’ genus forms a clade with the right whale dolphins (Lissodelphis spp.) and former members of Lagenorhynchus.
Bowhead Whale (Wild Safari Sealife by Safari Ltd.)
3.5 (4 votes)
Today will be dedicated to the largest Arctic resident, the bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus). When initially described by Linneaus in 1758, the bowhead whale was classified as the same species as other right whales (Eubalaena spp.). After decades of morphological and molecular studies, the bowhead was assigned to a separate genus within the shared family, Balaenidae.
Narwhal (Monterey Bay Aquarium Collection by Safari Ltd.)
5 (3 votes)
For me, there are not many ”normal” whale species. Most either look normal until you learn more about them or openly advertise their weirdness like the narwhal (Monodon monoceros). The narwhal is the only extant member of its genus and its closest relative is the beluga (Delphinapterus leucas), both belonging to the Monodontidae family.
Pacific White-Sided Dolphin (Sealife by CollectA)
4 (5 votes)
The overrepresentation of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.) undermines the real diversity within the Delphinidae family, thus warranting a look at a species like the Pacific white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens). This species is endemic to the North Pacific, spanning across Baja California, Southern China, and the Bering Sea.
Sperm Whale, 2018 (Marine Life by Papo)
4 (4 votes)
The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is one of my hands-down favorite animals and yes, I know I’ve said that before about other species, but there’s only three animals tattooed on my arm and one of them is the sperm whale. The other is the giant squid (Architeuthis dux) and as you can expect, they’re locked in combat, a small shark lurks in the background.
Gray Whale, calf (Monterey Bay Aquarium Collection by Safari Ltd.)
4.2 (5 votes)
If there’s any cetacean that sets the North Pacific apart from the rest of the world, it’s the gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus). Gray whales are a very familiar species, as their skin color and overall appearance make them easily distinguishable from other baleen whales. Gray whales have been traditionally placed in their only family from other baleen whales, Eschrichtiidae, based on their morphology.
Killer Whale (AAA)
2.3 (3 votes)
The oceans are full of wonderous, graceful but also dangerous animals, though many of these reactions depend on what species you are. This review will look at one that, to us, is graceful, beautiful and intelligence, but to many fish and whales is a dangerous predator, the killer whale (Orcinus orca), or the orca.