Sperm Whale

True Wild Life | Sperm Whale | The sperm whale is one of the world's water giants and is found in ocean waters worldwide. Although historically known as the common cachalot, the sperm whale gets it's name from the waxy-liquid substance found in it's head, that is used in candles, soap and cosmetics by humans. The sperm whale was once found in large groups, known as pods, around the world but extensive whaling of the sperm whale has led to it being classified as a vulnerable species today. The sperm whale is most commonly found in the deep ocean, where there is an abundance of food and along continental shelves.

An adult sperm whale can grow to nearly 70ft long, making the sperm whale the largest toothed animal on the planet (although about a third of the length of the sperm whale is made up of it's head alone). Sperm whales have around 50 large teeth in total, which are cone-shaped and weigh about 1kg each. Sperm whales are not only one of the world's biggest animals but are also one of the deepest diving animals in the ocean (along with elephant seals and bottlenose dolphins), and commonly dive to depths of nearly 500 metres for up to half an hour at a time. It is believed however, that sperm whales are able to dive much deeper reaching depths of around 3 km for periods of 90 minutes or more.

The sperm whale is one of the ocean's largest and most dominant predators, feeding primarily on medium sized squid. The sperm whale is also known to hunt larger squid species including the colossal and giant squids, and also octopus and large fish. The sheer size of the adult sperm whale means that it has no real natural predators in the ocean, besides being over-hunted by humans. The smaller sperm whale calves however have been known to be taken by killer whales and occasionally large sharks.

After a gestation period that lasts anywhere from a year to a year and a half, the female sperm whale gives birth to a single sperm whale calf into the surrounding water. Calves are thought to suckle (feed on their mother's milk) for up a few years before they begin hunting for themselves. Female sperm whales are able to breed when they are around 10 years old and can live to be beyond the age of 70.

Today, due to centuries of hunting, the sperm whale population is thought to be under threat in the wild. Although the sperm whale population is said to be stronger than that of other whale species, sperm whales are also now under threat from other factors including noise and chemical pollution in the water.

Minke Whale

True Wild Life | Minke Whale | There are two recognised subspecies of minke whale, the common minke whale and the larger Antarctic minke whale, both however are classified as baleen whales meaning that minke whales filter food from the water rather than biting it. The common minke whale (dwarf minke whale) is generally found in the North Atlantic Ocean and also parts of the North Pacific Ocean. The common minke whale (dwarf minke whale) is the smaller of the two minke whale subspecies with adult common minke whales reaching about 5 m in length.

The Antarctic minke whale is found inhabiting the frozen Antarctic waters but the Antarctic minke has also been known to venture into the Southern Atlantic Ocean and occasionally the Southern Pacific Ocean. The Antarctic minke whale is the larger of the two minke whale subspecies, and at around double the size of the common minke whale, some adult Antarctic minke whales grow to more than 10 meters in length! Despite the clear division of the two minke whale species territories, it is not uncommon for the common minke whale to be found in the waters of the southern hemisphere although the Antarctic minke whale is rarely found too far north. The reason behind this is thought to be because the common minke whale can survive in more temperate waters, where the Antarctic minke whale prefers to inhabit the more frozen ones.

The minke whale has a carnivorous diet, as the minke whales filters to water in the oceans to extract nutrients from it. Amongst the most common minke whale meals are krill and plankton, but minke whales will often eat small fish and crabs. As the minke whale is a type of baleen whale, the minke whale does not have teeth as such. The tiny bristle like teeth in the mouth of the minke whale means that the minke whale cannot really bite down on food, so the minke whale uses its teeth to filter food particles out of the water.

Minke whales tend to breed in the late winter to early spring, with minke whale breeding occurring near the surface of warmer waters. The gestation period is about 10 months and the calf is born near the surface of warm, shallow waters. The newborn minke whale calf is able to swim to the surface of the water within 10 seconds for its first breath with a little help from its mother who uses her flippers to guide the minke whale calf to the surface. Minke whales calves are usually able to swim within their first half and hour of life.

Humpback Whale

True Wild Life | Humpback Whale | The humpback whale is one of the bigger species of whale with the average adult humpback whale measuring more than 15m long (thats still about half the size of the blue whale). Humpback whales are found in all of the main oceans worldwide, but the humpback whales tend to stay in three main herds, the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean herds. There were once thought to be less than 15,000 humpback whale individuals left in the wild, with the humpback whale population declining by nearly 90% when whale hunting became popular with humans, meaning that the humpback whale was on the verge of extinction. Since new whaling laws have been put into place the humpback whale population has been allowed to grow again and today there are believed to be roughly 80,000 humpback whale individuals left in the wild.

The humpback whales spend the summer months in the colder, polar waters and then the humpback whales migrate south in the winter to the warmer tropical waters where the humpback whales live off their fat reserves until they migrate north again in the summer. The average humpback whale can travel to around 25,000 km every year when the humpback whale migrates between the north and the south. Humpback whale mothers tend to give birth to their young during the winter months when the humpback whales are in the warmer, southern waters. The humpback whale mother feeds her calf on the milk that she produces but this means that the humpback mother is often very week when she returns to the colder, northern waters in the summer as the humpback whale mother often will not have eaten since the migration south months before.

The humpback whale is a species of Baleen whale and is thought to be closely related to the blue whale and the minke whale. As the humpback whale is a type of Baleen whale, this means that the humpback whale has rows of plates in the enormous mouth of the humpback whale, which the humpback whale uses to filter small particles of food out of the water. The humpback whale therefore does not have teeth. Humpback whales primarily feed off krill and plankton that are present in their billions in richer waters. The humpback whale will also eat small fish and crabs that get taken into the vast mouth of the humpback whale when the humpback whale is filtering large amounts of water in order to extract the nutrients from it.

The humpback whale has not one but two blow holes, which are located on the top of the humpback whales head. The blow holes of the humpback whale enable the humpback whale to breathe in air on the surface of the water. Humpback whales spout (breathe) around 1-2 times per minute when the humpback whale is resting, and 4-8 times per minutes after the humpback whale has made a deep dive into the ocean. The blow of the humpback whale is a double stream of spray that rises between 3 and 4 meters into the air above the surface of the water.

Humpback whales are often seen migrating together in large pods but the relationships between groups of humpback whales are thought to be temporary and only last for a number of days. Humpback whales are also highly acrobatic animals and are often a favourite with whale watchers as the humpback whales can launch themselves high above the surface of the water.

Fin Whale

True Wild Life | Fin Whale | The fin whale is a large marine mammal that is found throughout ocean waters worldwide. The fin whale is the second largest whale in the world behind the blue whale, and also the second largest animal on Earth (obviously after the blue whale again). The fin whale has a long and slender body which can grow to lengths of more than 20 meters. The body of the fin whale is generally blue or grey in colour and slighter lighter on the underside of the fin whale.

There are two different species of fin whale which are the Northern fin whale and the Antarctic fin whale. As their names suggest, the Northern fin whale is generally found in the Northern Hemisphere and the Antarctic fin whale, in the Southern Hemisphere. Both fin whale species are very similar in appearance but the Antarctic fin whale tends to be larger in size than the Northern fin whale. Fin whales are found in both cold and tropical waters around the world, although they are most commonly found in the more temperate regions.

The fin whale is a carnivorous animal, that feeds by filtering food out of the water using the specially designed plates in its mouth (like a blue whale). The fin whale eats fish, krill, plankton, squid and crustaceans by simply opening its enormous mouth and swimming at faster speeds. Due to its sheer size, the fin whale has no real predators within its natural environment as ocean predators simply don't compare in size. Humans are the greatest threat to the fin whale, as they have been hunted over the years to near extinction. The new-born fin whale calves are also sometimes attacked by large sharks.

Fin whales breed in the cold winter months, after which the female fin whales migrate south to the warmer, safer waters where she can nurse her young. The fin whale calf is born after a gestation period last is nearly a year long, and feeds on his mothers milk until he is around 7 months old and able to start hunting in the water.

Blue Whale

True Wild Life | Blue Whale | Blue Whales are the largest recorded mammal on earth some reaching nearly 120ft. The blue whale is found in pretty much all oceans but the whales tend to prefer the warmer waters. The blue whale has been nearly hunted to extinction by man when eastern Asian whaling came into fashion a few of hundred years ago. There are less than 12,000 blue whales left worldwide. Blue whales feed mainly on krill but also small fish and squid, that swim inside their enormous mouths. The blue whale has thousands of extremely fine teeth that allow water to filter out of the whales mouth, without the whales catch escaping.

Apparently just one breath from a fully grown adult blue whale, will produce enough air to fill nearly 2,000 balloons! The blue whales heart is so big that it is around the same size as a small car, with the blue whales main arteries being big enough for a human to swim through comfortably.

The blue whale is a very solitary animal and generally spends the majority of its life alone, roaming the vast ocean waters. It has been known for particular blue whales to travel in pairs although, it is not known whether or not these blue whales remain together for extended periods of time. When there are good feeding areas, more than 50 blue whales have been seen in the same area, although they do not appear to interact with one another and tend to leave the other blue whales to their feeding.

Very little is known about the breeding patterns or grounds of the blue whale, although scientists do know that female blue whales tend to give birth every 2 to 3 years and this usually takes place at the beginning of winter. The blue whale calf tends to stay with the mother blue whale for around 6 months before the blue whale calf is ready to venture out by itself.

Killer Whale

 

True Wild Life | Killer Whale | Killer Whales (orca) are found in all the worlds oceans both hot and cold from the freezing waters of the North and South poles to tropical seas. The killer whale is the biggest member of the dolphin family, and there are about 5 different species of killer whale in the oceans. Killer whales hunt in groups called pods that normally contain from 6 to 40 killer whales. The killer whales hunt larger fish, seal and sea lion and often sea birds and mammals. Killer whales are sadly hunted worldwide for their meat and whale blubber, which is used as an old form of fuel. Due to whaling bans in recent years, the killer whale population can begin to recover again.

The killer whale is a dominant hunter but gets it name from the amount of meat it eats rather than having an aggressive temperament. Some killer whales are known to be relatively acrobatic naturally, although the majority are trained in zoos and aquariums. The killer whale has a top speed of around 30 miles an hour but can travel at 26 mph for long periods of time. It is common for killer whale to swim more than 50 miles without stopping. Killer whales are large, stocky animals that have a large dorsal fin, with the black and white markings of the killer whale being their most distinctive feature. Male killer whales are bigger than female killer whales with male killer whales growing to around 8 meters in length. Female killer whales are slightly smaller than the male killer whales with the female killer whales growing to around 7 meters in length.

Killer whales today are considered to be an endangered species due to habitat loss and hunting from humans. Although killer whales are not generally seen as a great threat to humans, there have been a number of instances, particularly in marine parks, where the killer whale has attacked its trainer. The killer whale is often referred to as the wolf of the sea, as killer whales are dominant predators and hunt in packs in a similar way to wolves on land. Typically, an average killer whale will eat over 200 kg of food every day which includes over 20 different species of marine mammal and more than 30 different species of large fish.

As with their dolphin cousins, killer whales are extremely vocal animals and communicate between one another using clicks and whistles in a process known as echolocation. Killer whales are known to at their most vocal and noisy when the killer whales are hunting and the killer whales are much calmer and quieter when they are resting. Killer whales are known to use different sounds when the killer whales are participating in different activities. Female killer whales give birth to one baby killer whale roughly once every five years. Female killer whales do not reach sexual maturity until they are about 15 years old, and the gestation period is thought be roughly 18 months long. Baby killer whales are born with a yellowish tint to the white parts of the baby killer whales skin, which fades into the brilliant white colour as the baby killer whale gets older. Mother killer whales look after their calves for the first couple of years of life. Baby killer whales feed only on their mothers milk until they are about a year old, when the baby killer whale will begin to solid food.

Killer whales can live until they are 60 years old but this is thought to depend strongly on the will of the killer whale. By means of comparison, killer whales that are kept in captivity will often not live longer than 25 years but in the wild killer whales live for much longer.