Subject: Whale facts

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On Wed, 18 Nov 1998 CINCINMOM@aol.com wrote:

> What are the five groups of toothed whale? Can you give me features of each
> group?
> 
> What is the migration pattern of the humpback whale?
> 
> How many blowholes do baleen whales have? How many do toothed whales have?
> 
> Thank you for the information.
> Cindy
> 
Dear Cindy,

The answer to your questions are as follows:

1.  The five families of toothed whales are:  Ziphiidae (beaked whales);
Physeteridae (sperm whales and their "kin"); Monodontidae (narwhal and
beluga); Delphindae (dolphins); Phocoenidae (porpoise).  One feature of
each group follows:
Beaked whales do not have very many teeth; Sperm whales heads are 25-35%
of their body length; male narwhals have one long tooth, belugas, or
"white whales" are all white, dolphins have falcate shaped dorsal fin,
porpoise have a triangular shaped dorsal fin.

2.  North Pacific humpback whales are thought to be in three main groups.
One group migrates from Alaska to Hawaii; one from Aleutian Islands to
Japan; and one from California/Oregon/Washington to Mexico.

3.  Baleen whales have two blowholes, odontocetes (toothed whales have
one).

Hope this information helps you.

Bete

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