1. Whales By: Nicki Carder Grade 3

2. What is a Whale?  A whale is a large, magnificent, intelligent mammal.  Whales have special made bodies just for them that help them move easily through the water.  Whales breathe air through a blowhole into their lungs, unlike fish who breathe through their gills.

3. Orca  Killer whales are found in all oceans  Killer whales may live for up to 35 years!  Males have a tall, straight dorsal fin, while that of the female is smaller and hooked.  Each day they eat about 4% of their body weight  Click here to listen to an orca whale! Click here Click here  Click here to Watch an orca (killer whale) Splash in the water Click here Click here

4. Humpback Whale  Humpbacks occur in all oceans of both hemispheres  Humpbacks feed in northern waters in summer, then migrate south to mate and have children during the winter. They usually do not feed during this time.  When on the breeding grounds in winter, male humpbacks make long, beautiful, complicated vocalizations !  Click here to listen to a humpback whale! Click here Click here

5. Pilot Whale  Pilot whales are one of the most common inshore species in Newfoundland  They stay together in groups. They are very social with one another.  Pilot whales are some of the noisiest whales in Newfoundland waters  Occasionally, groups of pilot whales slowly swim ashore and beach them- selves  Click here to watch a pilot whale! Click here Click here

6. Fin Whale  The fin whale is a common whale throughout the northwest Atlantic  In winter they generally migrate south as far as Florida  Fin whales are extremely fast swimmers, with speeds in excess of 20 km/ hour  They are very loud, and make low frequency sounds, this could be used for communication  Click here, to watch a fin whale spray out of the surface of the water! Click here Click here

7. Beluga Whale  Beluga whales live in groups called pods; a pod is a cohesive social unit  They eat octopus; squid; crabs; shrimp; clams; snails; sandworms; and fishes such as capelin, cod, herring, smelt, and flounder  Belugas have very good hearing, and have highly developed brains

8. Sperm whale  The Sperm Whale's blow hole is at an angle on the left side of its head  Sperm whales are even harder to find than other species because they don't stick out of the water very much and their distinctive blow is small and easily missed.  We now know that Sperm whales are not dangerous to people

9. Blue Whale  Blue whales are found throughout the world's oceans  These gentle giants have grayish-blue skin with light spots  Measuring 70 to 80 feet in length  Blue whales were once considered too difficult to hunt because of their speed and tremendous size

10. Gray Whale  Gray whales are filter feeders  Gray whales grow to be at most 45-50 feet long  The gray whale's skin is usually gray with some blotchy white spots and has many parasites  Gray whales congregated in small pods of about 3 whales

11. Websites to visit about whales  Test on whales Test on whales Test on whales  Whale Pages to Color Online Whale Pages to Color Online Whale Pages to Color Online