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Whales
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| baleen | the strong, comb-like plates of keratin (the same material that fingernails and hooves are made from) located in the upper jaws of all baleen whales. The baleen plates are used to strain food from the water. |
| barnacle | name for most of the 1,000 species of marine crustaceans of the subclass Cirripediea. They are small, covered in calcareous plates and found cemented head down in such things as rocks, driftwood, and whales. The tiny feathery plumes are legs to trap food. |
| beak | the elongated part of the mouth and jaws found on beaked whales and certain dolphins, also called the snout |
| biosonar | clicking sound used by Toothed whales (Odontoceti) and possibly other whales to navigate and find food. |
| blow | the visible expiration through the blowhole. |
| blowhole | the nostrils of a whale, found at the back of the head or the front of the head in the case of Sperm whales. |
| blubber | the thick layer of fat beneath the skin of marine mammals used for temperature control, as an insulator and as a food reservoir during migration and calving periods. |
| breach | the action of a whale as it leaps out of the water. |
| bubble cloud | large circular patch of bubbles made by Humpback whales as they feed |
| bull | the male whale |
| calf | a new-born or young whale. |
| carnivourous | meat eating. |
| cetacean | the scientific name given to the Order of marine mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. |
| cow | the female whale. |
| dorsal fin | the fin found on the back of most cetaceans. |
| dorsal surface | the top surface or back of a cetacean. |
| echolocation | see "biosonar." clicking sound used by Toothed whales (Odontoceti) and possibly other whales to navigate and find food. |
| ecology | the study of plants and animals and how they relate to the environment. |
| ecosystem | the environment and processes in which living and non-living things interact. |
| endangered species | plants and animals that are threatened with extinction. |
| extinct | refers to a species of plant or animal that no longer exists. |
| flipper | see "pectoral fins." the flippers or fins at the side of a whale. |
| flippering | the action of a whale slapping the water with a fin while lying on its side. |
| fluke | one lobe (curved portion) of a whale's tail. The tail, made up of two lobes, is called the whale's flukes. |
| fluke print | the patch of calm water left behind on the surface after a whale dives. |
| gregarious | living in pods or social groups. |
| harpoon | a large spear-like device used to kill whales. |
| International Whaling Commission | an organization formed by an agreement between nations in an attempt to regulate the industry and to insure that whales do not become extinct. |
| krill | see "euphausiid." shrimp-like, pelagic crustacean about an inch long, found in large concentrations. |
| lobtail | the action of a whale slapping its flukes against the water. |
| logging | the behavior of lying motionless on the surface, associated with resting. |
| mammal | warm blooded animals with backbones (vertegrates) that nurse their young with milk from mammary glands. Mice, humans, bighorn sheep, and Blue whales are all mammals. |
| mammary glands | the organs used by female mammals to produce milk for their young. |
| marine mammal | a mammal that lives in the sea. Whales, dolphins, porpoises, and sea otters are all marine mammals. |
| marine mammal | an adjective meaning sea or living in the sea. |
| melon | the bulbous forehead of toothed whales. |
| migration | movement, usually seasonal, from one region or climate to another to feed or give birth. |
| mysticete | a Baleen whale. |
| odontocete | a Toothed whale. |
| pectoral fins | the flippers or fins at the side of a whale. |
| pelagic | living in the open ocean. |
| plankton | minute plants and animals that live near the surface of the ocean. |
| pod | usually referring to the extended family unit of Toothed whales. |
| predator | an animal that feeds on another species of animal. The Orca is a predator of seals; seals are their prey species. Seals are a predator of the prey species, salmon. |
| quotas | the number of whales established by the international Whaling Commission that can be killed in any given year. |
| saddle | the gray patch behind the dorsal fin of Orcas, used for individual identification. |
| spout | see "blow." the visible expiration through the blowhole. |
| spyhop | the action of a whale rising head first out of the water, supported by the action of its flukes. |
| strand | the occurrence of a marine mammal being stranded out of the water, usually on the beach. |
| tail stock | the narrowing rear part of a whale between its body and flukes. |
| throat grooves | the series of plants or folds of skin extending from the chin to the belly of Rorquals that allows the throat to expand to take in huge amounts of water and food. |
| throat pleats | see "throat grooves." the series of plants or folds of skin extending from the chin to the belly of Rorquals that allows the throat to expand to take in huge amounts of water and food. |
| ventral surface | the lower surface of a whale. |
| whale oil | whale oil is created when blubber is rendered. (melted down). |
| whalebone | name given to baleen by commercial whalers of the 18th century. |
| whaler | a person who kills whales. |
| whaling | the act of killing whales. |
| zooplankton | minute animals, as opposed to phytoplankton which are minute plants. |
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