> Helllo, my name is Rachel J. and I attend Thayer Academy and we have
> just started researching Whales. Later on in the year, we will have to
> choose a whale to research. Which Whale would you Suggest
Where do you live, what have you seen (or have a chance to see)?
Personalizing a subject is always great for a young researcher. Try to
choose a local animal. If you live away from the coast, the
opportunities are wide open for any of the 25 or so 'great whales.'
If you want a species that is widely known with lots of information and
videos available I'd suggest the humpback or gray whale. If you want
the largest you'd select the blue whale. The smallest would be the
dwarf sperm whale. If you want the least known (the greatest study
challenge), that'd be the pygmy right whale (Caperea) or most of the
beaked whales in the genus Mesoplodon. The most endangered would be the
right whale.
Here's a thought! Go the extra mile for your teacher and select the
beaked whales as a group. They are unusual, fascinating, and not likely
to be duplicated by others in your class. They are also in the news
regarding the Navy's low frequency sound experiments. There are several
books available which contain plenty of information for your research.
Cheers,
Pieter Folkens
Alaska Whale Foundation
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Wed Mar 26 2003 - 10:29:23 EST