Dear Ms Karasczkiewicz ,
There are at present 89 species of whale in our planetary oceans. My answer
will deal with species you are likely to encounter in Massachusetts waters.
In order of likelihood those animals are:
1) Finback whale (Balaenopters physalus)
2) Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
3) Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
4) Right whale (Eubalaena glacialis)
Those animals are all baleen whales. The following toothed animals may also
be seen:
1) Atlantic whiteside dolphin (lagenorhyncus acutus )
2) Harbor porpoise (Phocaena phocaena )
Any of the cape cod area whale watch companies can provide you with a good
opportunity to spot some or all of these species.
sincerely
Dr. T. Ford
> From: "Karasczkiewicz, Mary" <Mary.K
> Date: Sun, 20 Mar 2005 21:57:44 -0500
> To: <tjfketos@rcn.com>
> Subject: Whale Question
>
> Dear Dr. Ford,
>
> My name is Mary Karasczkiewicz and I am a sophomore at Merrimack College in
> North Andover, Ma. For an Elementary Education Science course in which I am
> enrolled in this semester, I was assigned to ask a scientist any type of
> science question and recieve an answer from it to be handed in. I have been
> very interested in learning about the different types of whales that swim in
> our oceans today. But a question that I am most intereted in in What types of
> whales can be found in the Atlantic Ocean, especially around Cape Cod and
> surrounding areas. I spend most of my summers on the Cape and at the beach and
> would love to know if I were to go on a whale watch what types if more then
> one I could look for and spot. Thanks so much!
>
> Mary Karasczkiewicz
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