Cetaceans

Diving Mammals There are many different types of aquatic mammals such as pinnipeds ,whales, dolphins, seals, otters, beaver, muskrat, hippopotamus and walrus. These diving mammals don't breathe underwater as fish do, so their respiratory systems had to protect the body from the surrounding water; valvular nostrils and an intranarial larynx exclude water while breathing and swallowing. To navigate and detect prey in murky and turbid waters, aquatic mammals have developed a variety of sensory…

Around the world animals are held against their free will. They are tortured and deprived of having a life in the wild that is natural for them. Even though zoos, aquariums, and other animal holding facilities are seen as safe havens that provide protection for animals from predators, global warming, deforestation, and extinction, they are still not suitable dwelling places for them. Being raised naturally in the wild as opposed to in captivity provides animals with many benefits such as low…

country that was suffering from post war poverty. Japan was heavily involved in commercial whaling, they continued to hunt whales using the scientific research provision in the agreement. Japanese whaling is currently conducted by the Institute of Cetacean Research. This allowed it to go ahead. However, in March 2014 the International…

For instance the prenatal period for humans can be from 38 to 40 weeks, 10 months, whereas killer whales are pregnant for 15 to 18 months. Orcas are classified under the Delphinidae family of dolphins and porpoises. All dolphins are a part of the Cetacean order which is the toothed whale suborder. There characteristics the make it a part of the Delphinidae family are, that like dolphins, orcas have teeth, streamlined bodies and rounded head that tapers into a distinct beak. The main physical…

self-awareness (De Waal 2007, Hunter 2010). To date, MSR has been located only in cetaceans, elephants, great apes, and magpies (Hunter 2010). MSR has been located only in these species which exhibit high levels of social interaction. These altruistic species have evolved spindle neurons which scientists believe are a crucial component of empathetic behavior in large-brained species (Hunter 2010). Great apes, cetaceans, and elephants are also the only non-human animals in which spindle neurons…

Whales and Dolphins in Danger In 2007, a film called “The Cove” was released revealing the savage hunt of dolphins in Taiji, Japan. In 2013, “Blackfish” was released, revealing the monstrosities of keeping killer whales captive at SeaWorld. Both films received award nominations and massive media attention for their call to action and revelation of the endangerments of marine mammals. However, there are so many more dangers to whales and dolphins than just dolphin slaughter, or circus shows at…

times carried his trademark trident. On his command, the oceans rose up in violence or were calm and placid and they often were a reflection of his moods and emotions. Poseidon was the creator of all sea life, including the sea monsters such as the Cetacean, Sea Serpents and the Kraken. He was also the creator of all the equine. The horse was very special to Poseidon and is seen in the waves as the crashed upon the shores. Surprisingly he was also associated to…

My name is Tianshu Kong and I am from China. My father is a geophysicist and my mother is an animal scientist. I am currently studying Geoscience and Marine science at the University of Arizona. I was raised in China and I moved to Russia to take my last two years of high school when I was 16. Three years ago, I went to Tucson to take my university study. I have a strong interest in Geoscience when I was young. I become involved in the field of geoscience and worked with my father when I was…

Animal rights have become a common idea over the last several years, and the amount of activists in pursuit of these ideas have increased tremendously. Animal rights activists rally over the abuse and mistreatment of animals in business and research fields. The common idea that activists suggest to stop the abuse and mistreatment of animals is to release captive animals into the wild and to use alternative methods of research that doesn’t involve direct contact with said animals. While these…

amounts of stress. Like humans, orca whales can develop stress-related illnesses, like stomach ulcers, from being in small tanks as well as being subjected to noises and vibrations from pumps and filters. Curtis (1992) wrote “when a popular performing cetacean dies, the facility that owns it usually just obtains another and gives it the same name as the one that died (p. 55). This shows that SeaWorld has no respect in regards to the well being of their captive orcas. SeaWorld declined…