Neptune's Dolphins

One of the two groups of living Whales is Toothed Whales (Odontoceti). (The other group is Baleen Whales (Mysticeti).) Toothed Whales can be found in diverse environments ranging from deep oceans to muddy tropical rivers. This highly sophisticated group of Mammals includes Sperm Whales, Ocean Dolphins, and Porpoises. Beluga and Narwhal, the White Whales of the North, are also Odontoceti. The least known of Toothed Whales, Beaked Whales live in the deep oceans, where few people see Them. River Dolphins, another lesser-known Group, have colonized major river systems of Asia and South America.

 

Although most Toothed Whales have good vision, They all rely on echolocation (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. For example, Boto (Amazon River Dolphin) uses echolocation to find prey and to navigate in the murky Amazon River.

 

Unlike Baleen Whales, Toothed Whales live in stable social groups. They cooperate in hunts and help the sick Members of their Pod. Most live in matrilineal Pods, ruled by an old Matriarch. When They are grown, Male Toothed Whales will leave their Nursery Pod and join a different Pod. (However, Sperm Whale Bachelors travel in their own all-male Pod.) In their Pods, Toothed Whales learn hunting and language from their Mothers. Each Orca (Killer Whale) Pod has their own dialect that Orca Mothers teach their Calves. Meanwhile, Dolphin Mothers teach their Calves how to hunt with Sponges.

 

Using their click languages, Toothed Whales coordinate group activities, and plan hunts. A Pod of Bottlenose Dolphins will encircle a School of Fish, and herd Them to the shore. Sperm Whales will protect an injured Companion by gathering around Them in a flower formation known as “Marguerite”. An Orca at Marineland taught his pool Mates how to hunt Sea Gulls that fly in the area.

 

Because Toothed Whales live in stable families, They will support a sick Friend or defend a threatened Companion. Mothers pass their pod’s culture on to their Calves. Traveling and foraging, Toothed Whales form close bonds to hunt and play with. We can learn much about building and maintaining stable relationships from Toothed Whales.

 

 

During his migration from the Polar Seas, Humpback Whale can be seen in coastal waters, breaching and pec-slapping. Easy to distinguish from other Baleen Whales, Humpback Whale has a broad tail, long white-edged flippers, and prominent knobs on his snout. His long narrow flippers, which are almost one-third of his body length, are the longest appendages of any animal.

 

When He finally arrives at his tropical breeding grounds; Humpback Whale sings one of his famous songs to attract Female Humpback Whales. (These songs have two to nine separate themes in a specific order.) Besides spooking whalers, his haunting sounds have been sent into space on the Voyager probes. Also, in “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home”, two Humpback Whales sang their songs to stop aliens from destroying the Earth.

 

Unlike other Baleen Whales, Humpback Whale hunts in groups. He engages in an unusual form of cooperative hunting called “bubble netting”. (Several Whales produce a continuous spiral of exhaled air making a single, large bubble net.) First, a Humpback Whale will tail slap to startle the Fish. Then each Whale slowly rises below a school of prey, expelling a circle of bubbles. These bubbles form a “net” similar to fishing net. The Fish panic and converge in a small group. Then Humpback Whale swims through the group with his mouth open wide, gulping down Fish.

 

 

Humpback Whale communicates to everyone in a multiple of ways. He sings to Female Humpback Whale to court her. To display his annoyance at whale watchers, He lobtails, pec-slaps, and breaches. Humpback Whale cooperates with his friends in bubble hunting Fish. Learn effective ways to communicate from Humpback Whale.

 

“The most gamesome and light-hearted of all the whales” – Herman Melville, author of “Moby Dick”

 

“We know the whales are saying something. The question however is what it is.” – Gary Lyder, marine biologist

 

Notes:

Note 1. Breaches: Leaping out of the water and returns with a tremendous splash.

 

Note 2. Lobtailing: Forcefully slaps the flukes against the water while remaining partly underwater.

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.

 

One of the most famous of Whales is Moby Dick of Herman Melville’s novel, “Moby Dick”. Besides being white, Moby Dick has a wrinkled forehead, large hump on his back, and a curved jaw with crooked teeth. This giant white Sperm Whale took revenge on the whalers, who hunted him.

 

Harpoons did not seem to hurt him. One of Moby Dick’s favorite tricks was to swim away as if he was fleeing, then suddenly turn on the whalers, and smash their boats. Moby Dick was based on an actual white Sperm Whale who lived near the island of Mocha off of Chile. Mocha Dick, the White Whale of the Pacific, had become known in the 1800s for his violent attacks on whaling ships. When He was finally killed in the 1850s, sixty-year-old Mocha Dick was toothless, blind, and had eighteen harpoons sticking out of his body.

 

“Nor was it his unwonted magnitude, nor his remarkable hue, nor yet his deformed lower jaw, that so much invested the whale with natural terror, as that unexampled, intelligent malignity which, according to specific accounts, he had over and over again evinced in his assaults. More than all, his treacherous retreats struck more of dismay than perhaps aught else.” (“Moby Dick”, Herman Melville.)

 

In his writing of “Moby Dick,” Herman Melville sensed the Avenger of the Whales. Moby Dick is called upon to help the whales fight those who would destroy them. He is one of the few known Gods of the Whales. When writing Moby Dick, Melville, a former whaler, apparently channeled this. The whales wanted the humans to know about their Avenger and to take heed.