Ah to be a whale, dolphin or porpoise living in the deep blue sea. But what do they do all time, where are they going, how do they spend their days, how do they raise their young? These are all questions that researchers and scientists hope to understand by studying their life histories. While living… [read more]
Mysterious dolphin skin burn
Australian dolphin experts and enthusiasts are baffled by a terrible skin condition that recently appeared on two bottlenose dolphins. The cow/calf pair, named Wave and Tallula, are well known locally and inhabit the Port River Estuary near Adelaide. Photos of the severe skin problem were sent to marine mammal experts around the world, but no… [read more]
Shark-toothed dolphin and other fossil curiosities
Ah yes Squalodon, a genus of shark-toothed dolphins that lived 20 million years ago and is now extinct. This is probably a good thing, a dolphin just wouldn’t be a dolphin if it had shark teeth. That just doesn’t seem right. Although shark teeth may have helped them avoid captivity down the road… According to the Encyclopedia… [read more]
Cetacean fossil record: whale and dolphin bones
When it comes to figuring out the ancient history of whales and dolphins, all we really have is their bones. Sometimes whole skeletons have been found, but more often it’s pieces or sections of bone here and there that provide clues to a larger puzzle. Most whale and dolphin fossils are found in sedimentary rock,… [read more]
Whales and dolphins have lived through some crazy times
In the last two million years, the earth has gone through many changes. Yet, many whales and dolphins have managed to survive it all. I’m talking ice ages, sea level rise, dramatic shifting of land masses and coastlines. Although, it does seem like it would be easier for fully aquatic animals to adjust to shifting… [read more]
Cetacean evolution: whale and dolphin ancient history
For obvious reasons it’s tough to find good photos or drawings of long gone ancient whales and dolphins, so instead I am using a drawing of several of today’s modern whales for this post. Scientists have concluded that whales, dolphins and porpoises have evolved from Archaeocetes, the name given to a group of ancient whales.… [read more]
Cetacean communities and coexistence
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]
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