Information about whales! SOS! UFO! Speed

Killer whale: Size: 2.1-2.4 meters at birth, 8.5 (female) to 9.8 meters (male) as an adult, weight 7,500-10,000 kilograms.

Morphological characteristics: The dorsal fin is obviously tall (female is 0.9 meters sickle-shaped, male is 1.8 meters triangular), the snout is blunt, short and not obvious. The pectoral fins are large and oval, and the male body can often reach two meters in length. The contrast between black and white body color is one of the best identifying features. It is mainly black, but behind the eyes, under the caudal fin, on both sides of the genitals and on the abdomen, it is white. There are gray spots on both sides of the back of the dorsal fin. There are 10-12 teeth on each side of the jaws. , large and incurved.

Natural history: According to research, there are two types of killer whales on the east coast of the North Pacific from Washington State to Alaska, one is the resident and the other is the transitional. Their ecology, body color, and appearance are all There are differences. Those who live near the US-Canadian border mainly eat fish, while those who transition to eat marine mammals. Its social structure is very stable, the most stable outside of humans. Individuals can stay in the group they were born into throughout their lives. Groups include male and female whales and young whales. Each group has its own dialect, which can be identified. Each group can be identified. There are 1-55 individuals, and the general resident group is larger than the transitional group.

Distribution: Global, even entering freshwater rivers, but more common in offshore areas with cold waters.

Easy to be confused with: This species has large groups, special black and white patterns, and is easy to identify. However, in the distance, a group of killer whales without the towering dorsal fin of male individuals may be confused with patterned dolphins and false tigers. Whales are somewhat similar. ● top Gray Whale

Gray whale is considered to be the oldest whale species in the world. It has existed on the earth for millions of years and feeds with baleen, so it is a member of the baleen whale family.

Morphological characteristics: The average body length of an adult gray whale is 12-15 meters, the average weight is 30-40 tons, the blubber thickness can reach 15-25 centimeters, the head is V-shaped, and the blowhole is located In the shallow recess on the top of the head, the head is slightly arched, and the body is mottled gray with many barnacles and whale lice parasitic on it, so the body has white to orange lumps (cocoons), and there is no throat on the ventral surface. The ventral folds, but there are 2-7 grooves in the throat, about 130-180 baleen plates, yellowish white; the pectoral fins are small, paddle-shaped, with sharp ends.

Natural history: Gray whales migrate north to polar feeding areas from April to November every year, and migrate south to breeding areas from December to April, mainly living in shallower waters or lagoons; Adult whales reach sexual maturity at about 5-11 years old. After adult whales mate in the breeding area, after a gestation period of 12-13 months, the pregnant female whale will return to the breeding area to give birth to a single gray whale baby. February to March is the peak period of reproduction. Newly born whale calves are dark gray in color and are not parasitized by barnacles or whale lice. Their weight at birth is 500-1000 kilograms and their body length is about 4-5 meters. Due to the mother's milk The fat content in the whale is 55%, so the calf grows very quickly after birth. From the feeding conditions, it is known that the calf can grow half an inch (about 1.5 cm) and gain 25-50 kg in weight every day; the gray whale's lactation period About 9 months. (Picture of mother and child)

Behavior: Gray whales swim at a slower speed, about 4-9 kilometers per hour, but they have very active behaviors, such as: Peeping: Gray whales often tilt their heads vertically Lift out of the water and peek around for more than 30 seconds. It is generally believed that gray whales use this action to watch curious things. When in shallow water areas, gray whales will simply put their tail fins on the seabed.

Tail slap: The gray whale raises its tail and slaps the water. This behavior is a kind of social behavior. Male whales will also do this action when courting. Jumping to hit the waves: The gray whale will jump up. When its body is about 3/4 away from the water, it will rotate its body and fall back to the water. When it enters the water, it will stir up a lot of water splash; the gray whale will repeat this action in its living environment. , usually jump 2-3 times in a row, but there was a record of 20 jumps in a row.

Gray whales like to surf in shallow waters, and sometimes swim sideways on the sea surface, very leisurely; they will lift their tails when diving deeply, but not when swimming shallowly, and they will dive for a longer time in deep diving. Before diving, it will surface for 15-30 seconds and spray 3-6 times continuously. When diving, the jet column can reach 3-4.5 meters, and the shape is heart-shaped or V-shaped.

The main feeding method is benthic amphipods. Gray whales will use their heads and the right side of their bodies (some will use the left side) to sweep the bottom of the seabed, sweep up and suck up the benthic amphipods that have settled on the seabed. , and then filter the water and sludge from between the baleen through the tongue. Therefore, the right baleen of the gray whale is shorter and the damage is more serious.

Distribution and migration: Gray whales were originally distributed in both the North Pacific and the North Atlantic. However, the population in the North Atlantic was extinct in the 17th and 18th centuries due to human whaling. There are currently two groups in the North Pacific. One is the east coast group: the migration path is from the southern breeding area of ??the California Peninsula in Mexico to the feeding areas in the Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea and western Beaufort Sea in Alaska; the other is the west coast group. Group: The main migration path currently observed is from the Korean waters north to Siberia. According to this group, it is also facing the fate of extinction. In fishing ports in Taitung, Hualien and other areas in eastern Taiwan, fishermen seem to have spotted traces of gray whales. Whether there are gray whales in Taiwan needs further confirmation.

Renewed friendship: After the catastrophe of commercial whaling in the early 20th century, the number of cetaceans dropped sharply. Through various media reports, people began to be alert to this crisis, and gradually understood animal conservation and The importance of ecological balance has led to the emergence of many actions and organizations to save cetaceans. Many people have joined the ranks to re-establish the bridge between the broken friendship between cetaceans and humans.

Conservation success stories - gray whales. According to past records and reports, gray whales once spread all over the world's oceans, but now only two groups have been confirmed: one is on the west coast of the North Pacific, and the other is on the east coast of the North Pacific. Shore ethnic group. In the mid-1870s, rampant commercial whaling activities severely reduced the number of gray whales in the North American Pacific and threatened to become extinct. Due to high concern from the public and biologists, the United States passed the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972, including gray whales on the protection list. Soon, with the concerted efforts of mankind, the population of gray whales increased. Today, there are about 25,000 gray whales on the east coast of the Pacific. In the future, the number of gray whales may return to the previous heyday!

In March 1973, the world’s first domesticated large baleen whale, a young gray whale named GiGi, was rehabilitated and returned to the sea and returned to the original group; GiGi She was very small when she was caught. She was only 2,000 kilograms when she was sent to Sea World in San Diego, California, for domestication. But GiGi grew very quickly. She grew 1.5 centimeters a day and gained 50 kilograms, which is quite astonishing. Three months later, GiGi had grown to 8.5 meters long and weighed 7,000 kilograms. The pond could no longer hold it, so it had to be returned to the sea. This is the first time humans have safely released a cetacean into the sea without harming it.

In October 1988, the rescue of three gray whales trapped by ice in the Bering Strait of Alaska was unforgettable! Due to the severe cold weather at that time, the sea surface could easily form thick ice, and the three gray whales were I was busy eating and didn't notice that I was 10 miles away from the sea by the thick ice. As the temperature dropped, more and more seawater formed thick ice, almost sealing them completely. The situation was very critical until the local Eskimos discovered them and called in other villagers to work together to cut through the ice and let the ash The whales can put their heads out to breathe, and use a water circulation pump to pump water around the clock to prevent the seawater from freezing again, but they still cannot be rescued back to the sea. Through news reports, enthusiastic people from all over the world joined the rescue effort. A huge icebreaker arrived on October 15. By this time, the gray whales were already exhausted. The smallest one unfortunately died on October 21. The rescue operation We had to speed up, and finally on October 28, the icebreaker successfully guided the remaining two gray whales back to the sea. This is an unprecedented global victory to save cetaceans!

● top Dwarf sperm whale Kogia simus Owen, 1866 comes from the Latin simus, meaning "flat nose" Size: born about 1 year old meters, adults can reach 2.7 meters and weigh up to 210 kilograms.

Physical characteristics: It looks like a small sperm whale, with a slightly smaller body, gray back and white belly, and pseudo-gill slits on the side of the head.

The height and base of the dorsal fin may be relatively large (larger than the body length by 5 cm), and it is sickle-shaped, with the tip curving backward and located in the middle back. There are several short and irregular wrinkles under the throat. There are 7-12 pairs of lower jaw teeth (occasionally 13 pairs), and occasionally 3 pairs of vestigial upper collar teeth are found.

Natural history: Usually the number of heads in the group is small, less than 10. It is shy and inactive. When frightened, it will immediately excrete colored feces and run away. It reaches sexual maturity when the body length is 2.1-2.2 meters, and the nurturing period is 5-6 months. Their diet is mainly due to fish, but they occasionally eat small fish and crustaceans. Analysis of stomach contents shows that they can dive to depths of 300 meters. Distribution: Limited to temperate and tropical waters.

Easily confused: Because the dorsal fin is tall, sickle-shaped and located in the middle of the back, it is easily confused with other small dolphins when viewed from a distance. Because of its blunt head and iron-grey back, it is easily confused with baby killer whales and melon-headed whales, but the latter two often form large groups and swim faster.