|
Whale
Species
The whales covered here are those species
most commonly found in Antarctic waters being the Right, Blue, Sei, Humpback,
Minke, Fin, Sperm and Killer whales.
There are also some other smaller and rarer
species such as the Southern Bottlenose whale (up to 9.75m long), Arnoux's
beaked whale (to7.5m) and the southern hourglass dolphin, the smallest Cetacean
in Antarctic waters at 1.5-2m long.
Whale statistics - these are very
variable indeed. If you do any research on whales on the internet, or in
books, you will find that there are wide differences in the recorded length
and mass of the various species. Lengths are generally more reliable than
weights as it easy to measure the length of a whale, from whalers records
or from photographs against objects of known size. The weight on the other
hand is very difficult to measure and is based on some rough measurements
and estimates from those measurements of whales caught by whalers.
Unlike other animals it is not possible to
guide a whale onto a weigh bridge or to suspend it from a small crane to
measure the weight. The only time whales have been available in quantity
for such statistics was during the old whaling days and then it was most
important to get them processed as quickly as possible before the next one
arrived, so weights are educated guesses at best.
|
Blue Whale - Sulphur Bottom Whale
- Sibbald's Rorqual
Balaenoptera musculus
Average adult length 25m (males) 26.2 m
(females)
Average adult body weight 100 -120 tonnes
|
Blue whales
The largest
animals ever to have lived, dwarfing even the largest dinosaurs. All figures
about blues are awesome. Their circulatory system pumps 10 tonnes of blood
through its body using a heart the size of a small car. A child could crawl
down the whales' main blood vessel, the aorta. In its development, a blue
whale calf can drink 50 gallons of its mother's milk and gain 200lbs per
day!
The largest
individuals have been estimated at being 150-200 tonnes.
Blue whales
are light grey/blue to dark grey while at the surface, but seen underwater
they are a luminous aqua blue.
|
|
Southern Right Whale
Balaena glacialis
Average adult length 20m, Average adult
body mass unknown, but up to a maximum of 96 tonnes
|
Right Whales
The name was given by the early whalers because
they were the "right" whales to kill. They have large amounts of oil, blubber
and baleen or whalebone, they are slow swimming (easy to catch) and float
when killed.
Right whales have a large bulbous head and
lack the streamlined shape of other whales. The head has large callosities
that are home to a whole colony of whale barnacles, parasitic worms
and whale lice.
|
|
Sei Whale
Balaenoptera borealis
Average adult body length 16m, average
body mass 13 tonnes
|
Sei whales
These are among the more elusive of the larger
whales, not coming very close to land at any time and not forming large
groups or "schools".
They are found like many whales in both Northern
and Southern hemispheres following the best feeding at different times of
year. Only the larger older individuals tend to go very far south, they
are relatively rare in Antarctica
|
|
Humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
Average adult body length 12.9 m (males)
13.7 m (females)
|
Humpback
whales
So called because of the habit of raising
and bending the back in preparation for a dive, accentuating the hump in
front of the dorsal fin.
Probably the best known of the large whales
as they often collect in groups near to land and draw attention to themselves
by their behaviour. Breaching, lob tailing and flipper-slap are common and
often occur several times in a row.
They are slow swimmers (allows tourist boats
- and whalers - to get close). Males at breeding time sing the longest and
most complex songs in the animal kingdom.
|
|
Minke whale
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
Average adult length 9m Average adult body
weight 7 tonnes
|
Minke whales
One of the smallest baleen or filter feeding
whales. Minke numbers are still quite healthy due to whalers concentrating
on larger, more profitable species.
Minkes are still hunted for "scientific"
reasons by Japan, though large quantities of the meat turns up in very expensive
restaurants.
|
|
Fin whale
Balaenoptera physalus
Average adult body length 20m. Average
adult body mass 50 tonnes
|
Fin whales
The second largest after the blue whale,
the fastest swimming of all the large whales (sometimes called the greyhound
of the seas) and the commonest.
Fin whales can produce sounds of 75-80dB
at around 100Hz which is very loud for an animal source. In pre-propeller
oceans this sound could travel for well over a hundred kilometres.
|
|
Sperm whale
Physeter macrocephalus
Average adult body length 16m. Average
adult body mass 35tonnes
|
Sperm whales
The name comes from the enormous bulbous
spermaceti organ in the head.
Only males are found in Antarctic waters.
Sperm whales are toothed whales rather than filter feeders and are the deepest
and longest of all whale divers catching giant squid in the dark ocean depths.
Unlike baleen whales, which form only temporary
bonds, sperm whales live in extended family units that for the females are
lifelong associations.
|
|
Killer whale
Orcinus orca
Average adult body length 9-10m (male)
4.5-6m (female)
|
Killer whales
Also known as Orcas from their Latin name.
They are one of the most well known types of whales thanks to their being
held captive in marine aquariums where they are taught to perform tricks.
Killer whales are toothed whales and top
carnivores in their food chain. Sometimes referred
to as "sea-wolves", they frequently hunt in packs or "pods". Their tastes
are wide ranging from krill and fish to penguins, seals and even much larger
baleen whales.
|
The
whaling gallery is a collection of images from a
whole range of sources. It is intended to inform
and illustrate a now (thankfully) vanished occupation and way of life that for the men
so engaged was hard and often
dangerous. It is intended for historical interest rather than a commentary on the ethics of whaling. |
| |
|
