Baleen Whales
Baleen whales are the largest animals on earth, yet they feed on some of the smallest animals in the ocean. There are 12 baleen whale species divided into 4 families: Right, Pygmy right, Gray, and Rorqual. Characteristic baleen plates and paired blowholes help distinguish baleen whales from toothed whales. Whaling is definitely affecting the world's ecosystems. It has decimated the great whale population, especially in the southern hemisphere. The whales are vital to the food chain, stabilizing the food flow and maintaining a healthy ocean so the rapidly decreasing number of whales are going to have major effects on the ocean's ecosystem.
Whales are considered to be "cetaceans which means various aquatic life chiefly marine …show more content…
Some species of baleen whales have limited distribution. For example: Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) are found only in the southern hemisphere; northern right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) are found only in the northern hemisphere. Bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) inhabit the waters around the Arctic ice edges that melt and reform seasonally. Some populations of baleen whale species are resident to restricted areas. A population of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) is found year-round in the Gulf of California. Some species are found throughout the world. For example, fin whales, minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis), blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus), and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) have worldwide distributions. Bryde's whales (Balaenoptera edeni) are found throughout the tropics and …show more content…
Satellite-tracking studies assist scientists researching migratory behavior of baleen whales. Most baleen whales migrate 3,000 to 5,000 km (1,800-3,000 miles) each way, depending on the species. Gray whales migrate more than 10,000 km (6,000 miles) each way - the longest known migration for any mammal. Some species migrate much shorter distances. For example, Bryde's whales only move from temperate regions to the equator. And sei whales don't migrate as far toward the poles as most species
Baleen whales are the largest animals on earth, yet they feed on some of the smallest animals in the ocean. There are 12 baleen whale species divided into 4 families: Right, Pygmy right, Gray, and Rorqual. Characteristic baleen plates and paired blowholes help distinguish baleen whales from toothed whales. Whaling is definitely affecting the world's ecosystems. It has decimated the great whale population, especially in the southern hemisphere. The whales are vital to the food chain, stabilizing the food flow and maintaining a healthy ocean so the rapidly decreasing number of whales are going to have major effects on the ocean's ecosystem.
Whales are considered to be "cetaceans which means various aquatic life chiefly marine …show more content…
Some species of baleen whales have limited distribution. For example: Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) are found only in the southern hemisphere; northern right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) are found only in the northern hemisphere. Bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) inhabit the waters around the Arctic ice edges that melt and reform seasonally. Some populations of baleen whale species are resident to restricted areas. A population of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) is found year-round in the Gulf of California. Some species are found throughout the world. For example, fin whales, minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis), blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus), and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) have worldwide distributions. Bryde's whales (Balaenoptera edeni) are found throughout the tropics and …show more content…
Satellite-tracking studies assist scientists researching migratory behavior of baleen whales. Most baleen whales migrate 3,000 to 5,000 km (1,800-3,000 miles) each way, depending on the species. Gray whales migrate more than 10,000 km (6,000 miles) each way - the longest known migration for any mammal. Some species migrate much shorter distances. For example, Bryde's whales only move from temperate regions to the equator. And sei whales don't migrate as far toward the poles as most species