Bow-riding is one of my favorite things to see on a whale watching trip. If the boat happens to cross paths with dolphins, they almost always take time out to ride the pressure waves created at the front of the boat. It’s thrilling to watch, the dolphins are so close and clearly having so much… [read more]
Archives for February 2010
Bowhead whales
Bowhead whales hang out most of the year in the Arctic and don’t seem to mind dealing with sea ice at all. They have become experts at dealing with an extreme environment and are able to break through close to two feet of ice and dive up to an hour, giving them time to find… [read more]
Ravens: practicing monogamy for now
Valentine’s Day has come and gone again…the day set aside for showering that special someone in your life with love, gifts, affection and maybe even an engagement ring. The first step in making the ultimate promise to spend the rest of your life with the person you love or “until death do us part” as… [read more]
Bottlenose whales
Bottlenose whales are members of the beaked whale family and are easily recognized by a large round bulging forehead sitting atop a very short beak. As males age, their head becomes even larger (in size not ego) and eventually forms a rectangle look with a steep rise and abrupt corner leading to the rest of… [read more]
Bones: water living changes bones
Here I thought that reading the section on bones in the Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals would bore me to tears. And well let’s just be honest, some of it was definitely sleep inducing. Until I came to the part about “two very different trends in bone architecture and histology.” OK, stay with me now, I… [read more]
Ode to the blue whale
The ocean’s most impressive feature Is an 85 foot long 100 ton creature That roams the oceans’ deep With rarely a moments sleep The largest animal to ever live on earth The blue whale is legendary for its girth Their massive mouths defy the mind By lunch feeding their jaws unwind Gulping water until their… [read more]
4 fabulous blubber facts
1. Blubber in marine mammals contains blood vessels and is adapted to serve as an adjustable warming and cooling mechanism. 2. The distribution of blubber in certain areas provides some marine mammals a more streamlined and hydrodynamic body shape. 3. Blubber serves as a source of water for marine mammals, which is crucial during fasting… [read more]
Blubber: it can be a good thing
For marine mammals, blubber is a very good thing indeed. Living in the water requires special adaptations and blubber happens to be a very important one. Blubber also provides important clues to scientists on the lifestyle of different marine mammals including their eating habits, where they hunt and find dinner, how many are there and… [read more]
5 real estate tips for marine mammals
1. Ancestors. If they had success living in a certain area, might be a good neighborhood to continue living in. 2. Food. Great way to grab a quick ocean meal when the food you enjoy eating lives nearby. 3. Predators. Think about the security and safety of not having to worry about being chased and… [read more]
Biogeography: what in the world?
Biogeography is the study of geographical distributions of living things and how they came to live where they are. To figure this out, biogeographers look at an animal’s habitat, behavior, evolution, habits and any other clues that might help in solving the puzzle. For marine mammals this is an interesting question. The ocean doesn’t restrict… [read more]