3. Temperature Regulation
• Blubber – Also aids with buoyancy
• Muscle movement generates heat
• Body parts are not exposed to elements,
instead are all tucked in
4. Oxygen
• Blowhole on top of the head-better placement for
animals who spend time with head under water
• Huge lungs that can fill/empty quickly (2 sec)
• High gas exchange rate-whales absorb 90%,
humans only absorb 2% of oxygen
• Can slow heart rate & shunt blood from non-vital
organs when diving
5. Anatomy
• Streamlined
• Adults – no hair
• Internalized body parts
(penis, mammary glands,
ears) reduce friction
• No hind limbs
• Fluke = tail; up/down;
used for identification
6. Senses
• Echolocation – biological sonar
• Excellent hearing – songs used for communication
• Good eyesight (except in dark where echolocation
is used instead)
7. Special Adaptations
• Collapsible lungs for when diving
• Nostrils stay shut while diving
• Do not get “the bends” (accumulation of Nitrogen
bubbles from diving)
9. Odontoceti – The Toothed Whales
• Grab food with teeth, don’t chew
• Chase/hunt food so can dive deeper than baleen
whales
• Most don’t migrate and travel in Pods (groups)
• Examples: Sperm, Orca, Pilot, Dolphin, Porpoise
10. Mysticeti – The Baleen Whales
• No teeth – instead 600-800 baleen plates to filter
krill through accordion-like pleats under mouth
• Their food lives nearer to surface, so they aren’t
deep divers
• Examples: Blue,
Humpback, Right
12. Behaviors
• Breaching – jumping completely out of water
• Spyhopping – face up out of water
• Beaching – swimming up onto beach and
often dying when stuck there
13.
14. Issues
Whaling:
– Nearly wiped out many species
– Was for food, oil, etc.
– Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) – bans
hunting/harassing marine mammals
– International Whaling Commission (IWC) – makes
regulations pertaining to whaling
