Whales of Antarctica feeding humpback that came close to our kayaks in the gerlache straight.
Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully aquatic placental marine mammals. They are an informal grouping within the infraorder Cetacea, which usually excludes dolphins and porpoises. Whales, dolphins and porpoises belong to the order Cetartiodactyla, which consists of even-toed ungulates. Their closest non-cetacean living relatives are the hippopotamuses, from which they and other cetaceans diverged about 54 million years ago. The two parvorders of whales, baleen whales (Mysticeti) and toothed whales (Odontoceti), are thought to have had their last common ancestor around 34 million years ago. Whales consist of eight extant families: Balaenopteridae (the rorquals), Balaenidae (right whales), Cetotheriidae (the pygmy right whale), Eschrichtiidae (the grey whale), Monodontidae (belugas and narwhals), Physeteridae (the sperm whale), Kogiidae (the dwarf and pygmy sperm whale), and Ziphiidae (the beaked whales).
Whales are fully aquatic, open-ocean creatures: they can feed, mate, give birth, suckle and raise their young at sea. Whales range in size from the 2.6 metres (8.5 ft) and 135 kilograms (298 lb) dwarf sperm whale to the 29.9 metres (98 ft) and 190 metric tons (210 short tons) blue whale, which is the largest known creature that has ever lived. The sperm whale is the largest toothed predator on earth. Several whale species exhibit sexual dimorphism, in that the females are larger than males.
Baleen whales have no teeth; instead they have plates of baleen, fringe-like structures that enable them to expel the huge mouthfuls of water they take in, while retaining the krill and plankton they feed on. Because their heads are enormous—making up as much as 40% of their total body mass—and they have throat pleats that enable then to expand their mouths, they are able to take huge quantities of water into their mouth at a time. Baleen whales also have a well developed sense of smell.
Toothed whales, in contrast, have conical teeth adapted to catching fish or squid. They also have such keen hearing—whether above or below the surface of the water—that some can survive even if they are blind. Some species, such as sperm whales, are particularly well adapted for diving to great depths to catch squid and other favoured prey.
@Dian whalwhil Travel vlog @Fishes & Plants @The Fishfam @SalmoN TheBrownFish @xFish @Fish Hunting Fishing - Village Cooking Recipes @PuddingFishCakes
@FishXperiment @Oakelfish @WWE on USA @Harry101UK
#fishing_video #fishing
-
LIVE
Right Side Broadcasting Network
4 days agoLIVE: President Donald J. Trump Holds a Rally in Glendale, AZ - 8/23/24
7,397 watching -
5:27:47
Nerdrotic
12 hours agoACOLYTE: Thank You | LotR Breaking Tolkien | WOKE Dustburn - Friday Night Tights 316 MadamSavvy
194K81 -
1:08:01
Uncensored Pharmacist
12 hours agoUncensored Pharmacist: Welcome!
13.8K7 -
43:47
Alexis Wilkins
15 hours agoBetween the Headlines with Alexis Wilkins: DNC Recap, Reagan Premiere, Dem Policy Avoidance
43.1K13 -
1:06:32
Man in America
11 hours ago🔴 LIVE: What Trump + Kennedy Could Mean for America's Future
55.5K51 -
1:04:32
Flyover Conservatives
1 day agoMel K | Why are The Global Elites BUYING American Land?... What Does it Have to Do with the Water? | FOC Show
57.7K13 -
2:13:50
Slightly Offensive
11 hours agoRFK Drops Out, Endorses Trump.. Is Kamala DONE? | Guest: Viva Frei
73.8K58 -
1:20:58
Mally_Mouse
7 hours agoLet's Play!! -- Lego Star Wars Skywalker Saga
48K4 -
1:32:42
Glenn Greenwald
10 hours agoRFK Jr. Quits, Endorses Trump, Condemns DNC As Anti-Democratic; Neocons Celebrate Kamala's Foreign Policy Speech; US-Backed War in Russia Expands | SYSTEM UPDATE #321
128K236 -
14:12
Winston Marshall
13 hours agoWhat REALLY Happened at The DNC…
89.5K112