| Pacific White-sided dolphin physical characteristics | • Short snouts/beaks, light grey streaks along sides
• High dorsal fin - dark at the front and light at the back |
| Pacific White-sided dolphin behaviour (Social and feeding) | • Can travel in large groups - mainly seen offshore but now observed in SOG
• Acrobatic - often ride in bow wakes of boats; travel
with grey whales and humpback whales
• Feed on several spp. of schooling fish |
| How does Dall’s porpoise differ from Orcas? | Dall's:
-Lack white eye patch or saddle patch
-Has white on small dorsal fin, a white belly patch, tail is edged in white
- Small head and snout |
| Dall's are regularly seen in BC waters. How would you identify them while swimming? | often produce a “rooster tail” when swimming at the surface - High speed swimmers |
| Which is the smallest BC cetacean? | Harbour porpoise |
| Why are harbour porpoises rarely seen even though they are common in SOG? | Shy in nature, surface only for short periods, avoid boats |
| What is the status of harbour porpoises and why? | Listed as Special Concern because numbers are unknown |
| What is the name and function of the oil filled organ in the sperm whales nose? | Spermaceti organ. Involved in echolocation |
| What is unique about sperm whale teeth? | Conical teeth found only in small lower jaw; fit into holes in the
upper jaw |
| Characteristics of suborder Mysticeti | Baleen whales:
• Have two blow holes (do not echolocate)
• undergo migrations from cold temperate feeding areas to warm tropical mating areas
• Generally have less complex social structure than toothed whales |
| Which whale has a "parrot" shaped rostrum? | Grey whale |
| What is unique about the grey whale's dorsal fin? | They don't have one - instead have series of bumps and ridges before tail |
| What is the status of the grey whale? | Blue listed, Special concern |
| What usually covers the head, flippers, and tail of a grey whale? | barnacles and whale lice (amphipod) |
| Grey whale feeding | Bottom feeders - strain the mud for invertebrates + actively feed on herring spawn in eelgrass beds |
| Grey whale migration | Undertake long migrations from winter breeding grounds (Baja) to summer feeding grounds (Alaska)
– 16,000 km round trip; longest of any mammal
– Humpbacks off of BC coast make breeding migrations to Hawaii
- Coastal species (stay close to shore during migrations) |
| What does it mean if a whale is a member of the Rorquals? | They have pleated throats |
| Characteristics of the humpback whale | • Rorquals whale
• Dark grey on the back, white throat and belly
• Long pectoral flippers with white on the underside
• Black and white patterns on underside of tail flukes unique to individuals
• Nobs or bumps on the top of the head |
| Humpback feeding | - Feed in groups
- form bubble nets to concentrate prey, then lunge into concentration taking large gulps which are strained through baleen |
| What are humpback whales known for? | songs on breeding grounds and impressive breaches |
| What is the status of humpback whales? | Threatened, Blue listed |
| Which is the smallest of the baleen whales? | Minke whale |
| How do you identify a minke whale? | - Sharp rostrums
- recurved dorsal fin set about 2/3 of way along the back
- Distinctive white marking on pectoral fin |
| Minke whale feeding | -Feed by gulping or skimming water surface for krill and herring
-often seen with flocks of seabirds |
| What is the status of the blue whale? | Endangered, red listed |
| Physical characteristics of the fin whale | Second largest whale in BC
• White right lower lip (left side all grey)
• Usually white chevron on back behind head; underside is
also white
• Distinct ridge runs from dorsal fin to the tail |
| What is the status of the fin whale? | Threatened, Red listed |
| Sei whale characteristics | • Greyish-white with circular scars over body
• Dorsal fin quite prominent; lack the chevron seen in fin whales
- White spots |
| Characteristics of the right whale | • Narrow rostrum, large lower jaw, and crusty lumps (callosites) top of head
• Generally black with a white spot on the underside
• Lack pleats and dorsal fin
- Unique mouth shape "_n" |
| What is the status of the right whale? | Endangered, Red listed
• Is the most endangered whale in N. pacific (may be <100)
• Named because the “right” whale to hunt – floats to the surface when dead |
