Identifying ocean giantsREFERENCESWhales and Dolphins of the European Atlanticand Graeme Cresswell, 2008, WILDGuides , by Dylan Walker
The International Whaling Commission website: https://iwc.int/cetaceaWhales, dolphins and porpoises, by Mark Carwardine, 1995, Dorling KindersleyBaleen whales generally have a larger body size than toothed whales and include the biggest animal on the planet, the blue whale, which can be up to 30m long! The
baleen plates are made of keratin, like our fi ngernails, and consist of a hard plate with brittle hairs trailing the edge. Baleen whales typically have around 300 baleen plates on
each side of the upper jaw which enable the whale to sieve the food from the water. The size of the baleen differs depending on species and feeding methods, and ranges
from roughly 15cm in minke whales to 4.5m for bowhead whales.HUMPBACK WHALE (Megaptera novaeangliae)Size: 12-15m
Distinctive markings: and knobbly head, long fl ippers (mostly whitein the Atlantic) and a large, stocky body, not streamlined. It is dark grey on the back and down the sides with a white belly.Broad, rounded
Humpback ID: two-thirds of the way down the body. Usually raise the pointed and serrated tail fl uke when diving.Bushy blow (2.5-3m high). Dorsal fi n with hump located■deep waters (200-4,000m depth). It resembles the minke whale, but is much larger. The tall blow is conspicuous; the whale rolls forward, and for a while only the back is visible. The dorsal fi n then appears and disappears as the whale rolls forward. The fi n whale is also similar to the sei The fi n whale is the second-largest whale in the world. It is distributed worldwide, usually in
whale, which is rare in the UK.MINKE WHALE
(Balaenoptera acutorostrata) Size: Distinctive markings: 7-10m Tall, sickle-shaped dorsal fi n situated nearly two-thirds along
Humpback whale baleen plates the back. Dark grey head and body, lighter grey on the sides with distinctive white bands across the fl ippers.Minke ID:The whale makes an arched roll. Inconspicuous (often not seen) vertical blow visible almost simultaneously with the fi n.Lunge-feeding humpback showing the ventral grooves which expand to allow huge amounts of water into its mouthLunge-feeding humpback whalesFIN WHALE Size:Distinctive markings: 19-24m (Balaenoptera physalus)Uniform grey colour,
with some lighter areas. Slender, V-shaped head. White lower jaw on the right, black on the left. Fin whale ID: Relatively small, backwards-pointing dorsal fi n slightly curved, Tall blow (4-6m high) shaped like an inverted cone.
situated one-third from the back.■but do also occur in pairs or in small groups. Minke whales appear shy to boats, although sometimes curious. They usually surface only once or twice followed by a dive, and are therefore diffi cult to spot and observe from the surface. The minke whale is the smallest baleen whale in UK waters. They are usually solitary animals,Dive sequenceDive sequence■frequntly off the west coast of Ireland and northern Scotland during summer. This distinctive The humpback whale is considered rare in British waters, but has recently been spotted more Dive sequence
species can be recognised by the fairly small dorsal fi n with a hump at the front base. The humpback whale often displays acrobatic behaviour, including breaching, slapping with the fl ippers and lunge feeding.considered common in UK waters, the minke whale and the fi n whale. Additionally, humpback whales can sometimes be spotted Only two species of baleen whales are
in certain areas. Minke, fi n and humpback whales are all ‘rorquals’, meaning they have ventral grooves that expand and allow huge amounts of water into the mouth during
feeding. These species commonly lunge-feed, which means they swim towards the prey – often shoaling fi sh, such as herring – at speed and take a large gulp of water.
The water is then pushed back out through the baleen, trapping the prey behind. Lunge feeding can be seen from the surface.Randall Wade Grant/Wikimedia Commons
Lindis BerglandLindis BerglandBaleen whales