How do whales, dolphins and porpoises all get along and share their ocean home? This question is another one scientists hope to answer through the study of cetacean ecology. Possibly they make pacts with each other and agree to go after different prey and stay in certain locations to prevent fighting over resources and bad… [read more]
4 main types of cetacean prey
1. The first types of prey that many cetaceans prefer are tiny critters that form large schools closer to the surface. This includes several types of crustaceans (krill) and small fish (sardines, anchovies). And ironically enough, the largest whales prefer this type of dinner and have a built-in filter system called baleen that allows them… [read more]
Cetacean ecology: living in a water world
Whales, dolphins and porpoises live in a water world and face such a different day to day experience that it’s hard to imagine. Yet, they are mammals like us and seem to make it work despite dealing with an alternate universe here on earth…the ocean. As the Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals points out, cetaceans live… [read more]
Cetacean ecology
I have to say that once I saw the title of the next article in the Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, my eyes instantly started to glaze over. But thankfully I pulled it together, started reading and it turns out that cetacean ecology is pretty interesting. Just a quick recap for people wondering what a cetacean… [read more]
10 facts about Cephalorhynchus dolphins
1. Cephalorhyncus sounds like a sneeze but is actually the genus that includes four small coastal dolphins: Hector’s, Commerson’s, Heaviside’s and Chilean. 2. All four of the dolphins are mistaken for porpoises because they have nicely sloped heads instead of the more common dolphin beak. 3. Based on DNA studies, Cephalorhyncus dolphins share the same… [read more]
Captivity: a discussion
Now it’s time to tackle the issue of captivity and I must say I do so reluctantly. Because when it comes to marine mammals in captivity, there are lots of opinions and no easy answers. To ease into the subject, the Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals begins with a mini historical overview of marine mammals in… [read more]
Captive breeding of marine mammals
Ah yes, captive breeding of marine mammals. The editors of the Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals decided to have two separate articles about captivity. One on captive breeding, followed by an article on captivity. So in this post, I will just be covering captive breeding. Just wanted to make sure people didn’t think I was intentionally… [read more]
Bycatch: very bad indeed
Bycatch is the term used to describe animals caught in fishing nets that weren’t the target, but ended up being captured anyway. A real bummer. This issue really hit the scene in the 1980s when “dolphin-safe” canned tuna became part of the public’s consciousness, thanks to an excellent education campaign. According to the Encyclopedia of… [read more]
Big brains in marine mammals
Brains, beautiful brains. The Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals has quite a bit to say about marine mammal brains, including a few fun facts. Did you know that a killer whale brain weighs five times as much as a human brain? And that baleen whales have the largest brains in the animal kingdom? Pretty interesting. And… [read more]
Bow-riding: dolphins catching waves
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]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- Next Page »