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`The cetaceans, made up of the whales, dolphins and porpoises, are the group of marine mammals most highly adapted to living in water. Today they are the largest animals that have ever existed on Earth but evolved from small, hoofed mammals such as the fox like Indohyus more than 50 million years ago. The closest living relatives of cetaceans are modern hippos, which places them in the order Artiodactyla, the even toed ungulates, making them distant cousins of cattle, giraffes, deer and pigs. All whales have similar body plans with streamlined hairless bodies, fluked tails, dorsal fins(of varying size and shape) front limbs turned into flippers and hindlimbs that are all but lost; the only remnants in living whales are vestigial hip bones embedded within the flesh. Earlier whales such as Dorudon from the late Eocene had very elongated, almost serpent-like bodies, which lead paleontologists to think of them as marine reptiles at first, as well as still visible hindlimbs that may have helped the whales cling-together during mating. Later whales lost their back legs nearly completed and also developed layers of blubber beneath their skin, helping them stay warm as many species colder waters. Smaller whales and dolphins are very fast swimmers and can make sharp turns after prey even at top speed. Some whales, such as the sperm whale, are well known for diving great depths, sometimes down to 9,800 feet. Whales senses are designed to allow them to see and hear both underwater and above water. The nostrils are located at the top of the head and are referred to as blowholes. Dolphins and other toothed whales are capable of echolocation, similar to bats, where they generate sonar from a bulbous organ on their heads called a melon, and use the sonar to locate prey and others of their own kind. Toothed whales, like dolphins, porpoises, the orca and the sperm whale, posses sharp teeth for hunting fish, squid and other marine mammals, even other whales in the case of the orca. Baleen whales, such as the humpback, bowhead and blue whales, have no teeth but instead a mouth full of baleen; long fibrous strands of keratin that they use as a filter; these whales feed on huge quantities of small fish and krill by taking huge gulps of water and using the baleen to filter out the water, trapping the tiny prey in their mouths. Despite their diet of very small animals, baleen whales are the largest whales and indeed the largest creatures of all time. The blue whale grows to around 100 feet long and up to 200 tons, larger than any other animal in Earth's history, even the giant long necked dinosaurs such as Brachiosaurus and Argentinosaurus. Other cetaceans are generally large as well, though many dolphins in porpoises can be small, like the three foot 110 pound Maui's dolphin. Many species travel across the open oceans and the waters of the poles, while others live near the coasts of continents and islands and a few dolphin species even live in inland rivers, specially adapted to murky freshwater environments. Whales and dolphins are very social and intelligent animals, living in groups called pods and bonds between animals can be very close. There is great evidence that cetaceans have problem solving abilities, cooperative hunting, memory skills, empathy and altruism towards each other and other animals, love of play, and perhaps even a sense of self. Many scientists consider cetaceans as some of the smartest animals, ranked among elephants and great apes. Communication in whales and dolphins comes in many forms from a dolphins clicks, whistles and laughs to a humpbacks characteristic moaning song that can be heard for hundreds of miles by others, even at frequencies too low for humans to hear. Male whales will mate with more than one female and usually take no responsibility for the care of the calf. Mothers nurse their young underwater and often fast for months after birthing in tropical nursing grounds before taking the calves out to sea to feed. Many species are sexually dimorphic; exhibiting differences between sexes, either with size or other anatomical features, such as tusks on a male narwhal or a male orcas larger dorsal fin. For thousands of years cetaceans have been hunted for their meat and blubber, especially by indigenous peoples of the Arctic. Oil became a latter material harvest from whales. Many cultures throughout history may have created tales of sea monsters based on accounts of whales. The Kraken, Leviathan, and Jormungandr may have all been based on great whales. In Ancient Greece dolphins were considered sacred to the god of the sea Poseidon. During the 18th and 19th centuries whaling was such an intense practice in many parts of the world that by the 20th century once massive populations of baleen whales had decreased dramatically. Since then cetaceans have been protected from whaling by international law, and many species have begun to recover, though some nations still hunt whales, such as the Inuit for sustenance. Japan still hunts whales and dolphins for meat, claimed research and to sell to marine parks. Many species are still threatened by illegal hunting, loss of prey due to overfishing, getting caught as bycatch, toxic waste, trash and noise pollution from industrial ships causing them to become stranded on beaches, and climate change. Some species of dolphin number in less than 100, and the chinese river dolphin is almost certainly extinct. Despite past and present persecution, humans take very kindly to whales and dolphins in cultures throughout the world. Their swift movements through the water, delightful and enchanting sounds and songs, their great intelligence, curiosity and docility, and their incredible size have transformed them for fabled sea monsters to objects of wonder and awe, revered in legends, music, artwork, novels, television, film and in zoological parks and ecotourism ventures all over the world. Dolphins and toothed whales like belugas and orcas are common stars in aquariums and marine parks, and benefit from the conservation efforts run by such facilities, although the ethics of keeping such intelligent and powerful animals in captivity is often brought into question, especially when the animals are trained to interact with the public and perform tricks.
Species shown:
Hector's dolphin/ Cephalorhynchus hectori
†Lesser serpent whale/ †Dorudon atrox
Humpback whale/ Megaptera novaeangliae
Orca/Killer whale/ Orcinus orca
Ganges river dolphin/ Platanista gangetica
Blue whale/ Balaenoptera musculus
Beluga/ Delphinapterus leucas
Species shown:
Hector's dolphin/ Cephalorhynchus hectori
†Lesser serpent whale/ †Dorudon atrox
Humpback whale/ Megaptera novaeangliae
Orca/Killer whale/ Orcinus orca
Ganges river dolphin/ Platanista gangetica
Blue whale/ Balaenoptera musculus
Beluga/ Delphinapterus leucas
Image size
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Comments17
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really cool collection of cetacean drawings!! 