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]
5 fun breathing facts about marine mammals
1. Marine mammals use 75% of their total lung capacity when breathing, while humans only use 10 to 15%. 2. To increase the amount of oxygen in their lungs compared to carbon dioxide, marine mammals intentionally hyperventilate. 3. Sea otters have lungs that are three times the average size for animals with similar body mass.… [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]
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]
5 fascinating marine mammal behaviors
1. Sperm whales hang out in groups of about 10 females with their calves. If a killer whale attacks, calves will be surrounded by the adults for protection. Sperm whales also use this strategy to protect injured whales. 2. Some dolphins coordinate their feeding by surrounding a school of fish in a circle. Then the dolphins… [read more]
Behavior in marine mammals
As fellow mammals, marine mammals spend a lot of time doing the same things we do. Shopping or hunting for food, eating, finding a mate, having sex, raising young, traveling and escaping bad guys are all activities occupying the time of marine mammals across the globe. But we have adapted to solid ground under our… [read more]
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