Toothed Whales By: Lauren Granville

There are around 70 different species of Toothed Whales. Some Toothed Whales are: Sperm whale, Bottlenose dolphin, River dolphin, Beaked dolphin, Orca, Pilot, Narwhal, and Beluga whale.

There is a wide distribution of Toothed Whales all over the world. They can be found in deep water habitats, coastal shores, in Antarctic seas, tropical seas, and in fresh water. Most migrate for food or to breed. Others, like the Sperm whale, are said to be the wanderers of the ocean because they inhabit oceans all over the world.

DIET DIET Toothed Whales diet varies among the different species. They actively hunt prey using echolocation. Toothed whales have peg-like teeth for grasping their prey. The whales that feed on fish, seals, and other whales, generally have more teeth than the ones that feed on invertebrates.

Feeding Methods Orcas will strand themselves on a sandy beach in order to catch and eat seals. Bottlenose dolphins will herd schools of fish up onto a mud bank, stranding themselves until they are finished eating.

The melon The melon is a fluid-filled structure, unique to Toothed whales. Its located between the blowhole and beak and is believed to function in echolocation. They use the melon as an adjustable acoustic lens.

Sperm Whales The blowhole is usually located on the top of the head, except for in the case of the Sperm whale. Sperm whales have a blowhole that is located on the front left-hand side of the head. These whales are the largest in the Toothed whale group.

Dolphins and Porpoises Dolphins and porpoises are aesthetically similar. Dolphins are more talkative and make whistling sounds through their blow holes for communications; porpoises do not. Both are very intelligent.

Narwhal and Beluga This family, Monodontidae, has only two species: the Narwhal and Beluga whale. Narwhal and Beluga’s are found in arctic seas and major rivers draining into them. Both lack a dorsal fin.

Do whales sleep? Whether whales sleep or not remains a mystery. Scientists believe whales rest one side of the brain at a time. They do this by closing one eye at time before swapping to the other eye while swimming close to the waters surface.

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References p/WhaleWatchingShoreCapeCod.htm p/WhaleWatchingShoreCapeCod.htm bank/toothed-whales.htm bank/toothed-whales.htm whales.htm whales.htm