Neptune's Dolphins

Known as “Ghost Whale”, Beluga is the only whale that is all white. Because of her pale color, Russians named Her, “Belulcha,” which means “white one”. Like Manatee, Beluga was once thought to be a mermaid. Today, She is a major character in children’s stories.

 

Like her Mother, Beluga returns to the same river estuary every year. Her Mother first took Her to their “home” when She was a Calf. However, when the ice freezes over her estuary, Beluga will leave her home for warmer coastal waters. But come the springtime, She returns with her Calf to feed in the nourishing Polar waters of their estuary.

 

Unlike other Whales, Beluga has a flexible neck, and can move her head from side to side. Because of her unique ability, She does a visual sweep of the ocean floor while swimming. Her famed flexibility extends to other parts of her body as well. Beluga’s bendable flippers help Her get out of tight squeezes. Her moveable face makes Her one of the most expressive whales. In fact, She often forms her mouth into an “O”. When She is unhappy, Beluga will squirt the offender with streams of water from her puckered mouth.

 

Since She travels in pods of a hundred or more Whales, having a social life is important to Beluga. Called “Sea Canary”, She chirps, peeps, and squeaks to her Pod Mates. In her Pod, Beluga talks with Them all, using trills, chirps, and clucks. Sometimes, She sounds like a rusty gate or an out-of-tune string band, conversing with other Belugas.

 

Life in Beluga’s Pod is loud and noisy. The only time, She and her Friends are silent is when Orca (Killer Whale) is near. Then silence rules the ocean waters. Beluga shows that, with friends you can trust, you will always know when danger is near.

For thousands of years, Whales have captured people’s imagination. People have regarded Whales to be gods, guardians, sea monsters, sources of food, and living islands. From classical Greek mythology to modern day movies, the Family of Whales (Cetaceans) has played a major part in many stories. According to Christians, God sent a Whale to swallow Jonah. Narwhal and his long tusk became the basis of Unicorn legends of the Middle Ages. In the Amazon River basin, people speak of River Dolphins disguising Themselves as men to woo the local girls. Meanwhile, Herman Melville’s novel, “Moby Dick” describes Sperm Whale as the Lord of Demons and Chaos. In the modern era, people see Whales as friends like Flipper (a Bottlenose Dolphin) of movie and TV fame. And, other people regard Cetaceans as mystical representatives from earth’s ancient days or from distant star systems.

 

Alien yet familiar Animals, Whales are Mammals who have totally adapted to the ocean, which is a hostile environment to air breathers. Scientists believe that the ancestor for Whales was a fish-eating land Mammal, related to modern hoofed Mammals. Further DNA tests show that Whales are actually related to Cows and Camels.

 

Although people regard Whales as one generic creature, They are divided into two groups, that are not closely related to each other – Baleen (Mysticeti) (Note 1) and Toothed (Odontoceti). To grasp the difference between the two Groups of Living Whales, think of how closely Cows are related to Camels. Baleen Whales, the largest animals on earth, filter food through their baleen. Famous for their singing, Baleen Whales’ songs have been popular as music recordings. More social than Baleen Whales, Toothed Whales live in larger groups called Pods. Unlike Baleen Whales, Toothed Whales use echolocation to find their prey. (Note 2)

 

Individual Whale Species differ greatly from each other as well. Among Baleen Whales, Right Whales resemble big boats, while Fin Whales are shaped like cruisers. With their square heads, Sperm Whales (who are Toothed Whales) look like submarines. Baleen Whales have two blowholes, while Toothed Whales only have one. Right Whales produce a distinctive V Shape blow, and Sperm Whales’ blows slant forward and to the left.

 

Living in the ocean, which is both fatal and vital to people, Whales have become intermediaries between people and other worlds. With their forceful leaps to the sky and dives to the ocean’s depths, Whales become the nexus between heaven and earth. If you want to go between worlds, let Whales be your guide.

 

“Oh! the whale is free of the boundless sea;

He lives for a thousand years;

He sinks to rest in the billow’s breast,

Nor the roughest tempest fears.

The howling blast, as it hurries past,

Is music to lull him to sleep;

And he scatters the spray in his boisterous play,

As he dashes—the king of the deep.

 

Oh! the rare old whale, 'mid storm and gale,

In his ocean home will be,

A giant in might, where might is right,

And king of the boundless sea!”– 

“King of the Southern Sea,” Joseph Edwards Carpenter
 

“With a frigate’s anchors for my bridle-bitts and fasces of harpoons for spurs, would I could mount that whale and leap the topmost skies, to see whether the fabled heavens with all their countless tents really lie encamped beyond my mortal sight!” – “Moby Dick”, Herman Melville

 

“But now those days are gone for good

Along with men on ships of wood

There’s no return for ships with sails

But maybe we’ll again see whales.” – “Whale Song,” Robert Longley

 

Toothed Whale Family Members (Odontoceti):

Beaked Whales

Dwarf and Pigmy Sperm Whales

Ocean Dolphins and Orcas

Porpoises

River Dolphins

Sperm Whale

White Whales (Beluga, Narwhal)

 

Families of Baleen Whales (Mysticeti):

Rorquals (Blue, Fin, Humpback, Minke, and Sei)

Right Whale

Pigmy Right Whale

Gray Whale

Bowhead Whale

 

Notes:

 

Note 1: Baleens are thin, long, triangular plates of keratin (same material that human hair and nails are made from). These plates grow down from Baleen Whale’s gums, covering the upper jaw.

 

Note 2: Echolocation is the sending out sound signals and interpreting the echoes. In their foreheads, Toothed Whales possess an organ called a melon, which acts as a sonar lens to focus sound.

 

Bottlenose Dolphin’s famous “smile” reveals twenty pairs of small even teeth. He uses his teeth to communicate with. When Bottlenose Dolphin is angry at other Dolphins, He uses his teeth to nip and harass them. (Instead of chewing food, Bottlenose Dolphin swallows his food whole.)

Living in loose social groups, Bottlenose Dolphin forms close friendships with his Male Friends. In their travels across the oceans, He converses with his long-time friends by using whistles and clicks. Meanwhile, in his pod, Bottlenose Dolphin forms alliances to move up in the complex social hierarchy. In his pod, Bottlenose Dolphin strokes and caresses His Friends, but whistles to annoy other Dolphins. However, Everyone comes together to save a struggling Pod Member or to herd Fish.

 

Unfortunately for many people, Bottlenose Dolphin has a very dark side that they cannot cope with. Male Bottlenose Dolphin is a bully, when He wants to be. He and His Friends gang up on Female Bottlenose Dolphins, biting and pushing Them. He also harasses and kills Porpoises. This is difficult for people to understand since they only see the friendly sociable side of Bottlenose Dolphin.

 

Bottlenose Dolphins teaches about being human. He holds a mirror to people to see themselves. Friendly and sociable, He forms lasting relationships. Like people, He is prone to anger and bullies other Dolphins. In his affairs, Bottlenose Dolphin freely expresses Himself, and demonstrates to people the full extent of their humanity.