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The Cuvier’s beaked whale, aka goose-beaked whale or ziphius, the most widely distributed of the beaked whales, is smaller than most baleen whales, and the larger toothed cetaceans; like sperm whales or orcas. Even though they have an incredible dive depth, they are the most frequently-spotted beaked whales when they […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Sowerby’s beaked whale, aka North Atlantic beaked whale or North Sea beaked whale, hales from the North Atlantic Ocean and can be spotted, with luck, off the shores of North America, Europe, and Africa. These whales face the threats of overfishing; bycatch (getting caught or tangled in long-lines or […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Perrin’s beaked whale is a shy member of the toothed whale suborder. There are over 20 species of beaked whales recognized to date. These whales face the threats of overfishing and subsequent bycatch (getting caught in gill nets and long lines, which can cause drownings); pollution in the form […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Gervais’ beaked whale, aka Antillean beaked whale, European beaked whale, or Gulf Stream beaked whale, is the most often stranded mesoplodont whale. Unfortunately, these small whales face the threats of overfishing; climate change that affects their food source; and pollution, including agricultural waste, fuel leaks, and especially plastics and […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The dwarf sperm whale can be found throughout all of the world’s oceans, preferring deeper tropical and temperate waters. These critters are related to the pygmy sperm whale. Even though these diminutive whales are subjected to overfishing, pollution, and climate change, they are still abundant enough to earn the listing […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The bowhead whale, aka bowhead, Arctic whale, black right whale, Greenland right whale, steeple-top, polar whale, or Russian whale, can be found in the Arctic and subarctic oceans. There they spend their entire lives, unlike other whales that migrate to warmer waters to birth their young. With a population of […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The pygmy right whale is the smallest species of baleen whales. Pygmy right whales aren’t true right whales at all, but are typically called so due to their bowed lower jaw, with the arch and stocky body. These features increase as they age. They call the cold ocean waters of […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The gray whale, aka gray back whale, Pacific gray whale, & California gray whale, is a migratory whale species that travels farther than any other mammal. There are 2 separate distributions of gray whales in the North Pacific Ocean: the Eastern North Pacific distribution, which calls the west coast of […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The minke whale (pronounced minky) is the second smallest known whale, after the pygmy right whale. There are 2 subspecies, the Atlantic and southern. They are differentiated by morphology, size, and locale inhabited. These cetaceans typically inhabit northern polar waters, but they can be found in sub-Arctic waters in north […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The fin whale is the second largest creature on the planet, after the blue whale. There are 2 known subspecies; the northern and the southern. Fin whales prefer temperate and polar waters. These gentle giants are part of the baleen family of whales that spend their days filter feeding tiny […]

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