Types of Whales: Names, characteristics and more…

Whales are creatures loved by many people , but  listing or describing all types of whales that exist in the world, is not an easy task.  They live in the ocean at different depths, and  their weight  can reach up to 120 tons.  Their  length varies according to the species. Now we invite you to discover, the main whales of the world, as well as their most outstanding characteristics

Main Types of  Whales 

Although we usually consider, that all cetaceans belong to the genera of whales, only those pertaining to the group of the balaenidae , are considered as whales. Now it’s time to  know all  types of whales existing in the world.

Boreal Whales

These whales have a robust contexture , and  they can reach approximately 20 meters in length, being this way one of the biggest species. Their skin is dark grey in color and they have a big mouth, especially when comparing it  with that of other species. Boreal whales, unlike other whales;  don´t tend to migrate. They  spend all their life at the Arctic Ocean. Regarding their procreation, they  give birth every 3 or 4 years, being also  the species with  the highest index of longevity. It is  a species at risk of extinction , since some conditions in  their habitat are not enough  proper  and should be improved.

Pacific Right Whale

This group is comprised by three (3) species, the Austral Whale, the Glacial Whale,  and the Pacific Right Whale. They feed on plankton,  and they have a robust contexture, including a huge head;  which is  another of their main characteristics. Their dark skin, which contains calluses, is another disticntive  characteristics that helps identify them easily..

The  Pacific Right Whale, can reach up to 18 meters in length and  it  has a grey skin. There is a low population of these specimens ,which are also considered a species at risk of extinction.

Fin whale.

It is one of  the biggest whales which can reach up to 27 meters long and  they feed on small fish, crustaceans and squid. Their  stylized body, with a grey skin and a white belly; is  another of their  most outstanding characteristics. There are two sub- species of these whales; the Atlantic which lives in northern areas,  and the Antarctic.  They are distributed in almost all oceans except at the poles. It is also at risk of extinction.

Blue Whale.

This is the biggest species of whales that exists  and it´s  even considered as the largest animal in the world.  They can measure up to 30 meters in length. They live mainly in  cold waters, but  they migrate to tropical waters for getting reproduced.

Blue Whales have an elongated body with a large and  flattened head. Following, we list some other characteristics of this species;

• Their  main color is  blue
• They have  gray patches, but their  main color isar blue e with grey patches
• Their food is mainly composed of krill, (small crustaceans similar to shrimps)
• They don´t have teeth, but their  beards helps them absorb their prey in an easy way

Humpback Whale.

This  is another big specimen, which can reach up to 19 meters in length. They also have a robust contexture, with big  warts on their fins. Their back is black, while their  belly is white with some stains .

They usually make big jumps in the water, and we  can find them in all the seas; but during  winter they migrate toward  warmer waters.(We invite you to read our article humpback whales to learn more about these wahles)

Gray Whale.

The gray whale is the most ancient of all types of whales. They live  exclusively at the North Pacific Ocean, although they tend to migrate to the North of Mexico for their reproduction. Their size varies between 14 and 20 meters in length. These specimens are completely gray, and their skin is covered by some parasites and crustaceans.

The gray whales have a small and curved head,compared to other species. Their pectoral fins  look like small blades, but they don´t  possess  a dorsal fin. They have a rounded hump, which is another of their main characteristics (We invite you to read our article Gray Whales to learn more about these creatures)

 

Sperm Whale

The sperm whale is a type of toothed whale, which can reach up to 18 meters in lenght. It has a huge head, one nostril and its skin is grayish in color. It is a perfect swimmer that can submerge to a depth of a thousand meters, and  it is able to develop a speed  of 40 km / h.

Finally, we invite you to watch this video, in order to enjoy the wonderful sounds that these creatures can emit