Rorquals
Rorquals are baleen whales.
- They are found in all the oceans of the world and all species are migratory. Most species live in cool waters and migrate to warm waters to breed.
- All the whales in the group have been hunted for their baleen, meat, oil and other products.
Here is a lttle information about each
of the rorqual whale species. To learn more, just click on
one of the links.
Humpback Whale
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Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is one of the most common whales to see in photos - they put on excellent surface display and they are found almost everywhere in the world - in all oceans, except polar waters.
They can weigh up to 30 tons - not as
large as right whales but still
larger than most other whales in the world. There are about 7,000
individuals in the world, and the species is not endangered.
Blue Whale
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Blue
Whale (Balaenoptera
musculus)
is the largest animal that has ever lived on the Earth. It can weigh up
to
120 tons- a weight only possible thanks to water buoyancy.
When
these animals are out of water, they die because their inner organs are
crushed by their own weight. Like Humpback Whales, they are found in
all oceans except polar waters. There are about 12,000
individuals left today and the species is endangered.
Fin Whales
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Fin
Whales (Balaenoptera
physalus)
are the second largest of rorquals and like Blue and Humpback Whales,
they are found in all the world's oceans except polar regions.
They can
weigh
up to 75 tons. They are relatively fast swimmers, and as opposed to
most other whales they are believed to
be monogamous as they are often seen in pairs and they like deep
waters.
There are about 64,000 individuals and the species is
endangered.
Sei Whales
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Sei Whales (Balaenoptera
borealis)
are smaller. They only weigh up to 25 tons and measure about 15 metres
long.
They like pelagic waters and are often seen in groups of 2-5 They are found in the same placees as the whales above, although their range ends a bit farther from the poles. There are about 57,000 individuals and the species is endangered.
They like pelagic waters and are often seen in groups of 2-5 They are found in the same placees as the whales above, although their range ends a bit farther from the poles. There are about 57,000 individuals and the species is endangered.
Minke Whale Species
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There are two species of Minke
Whales. Both can weigh up to about 9 tons and their exact
population
sizes are not known.
The Northern Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) is found in the waters between the equator and northern polar regions, and is classified as nearly threatened.
The Southern Minke Whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) is found in waters between the equator and southern polar regions, and is classified as conservation dependent.
The Northern Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) is found in the waters between the equator and northern polar regions, and is classified as nearly threatened.
The Southern Minke Whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) is found in waters between the equator and southern polar regions, and is classified as conservation dependent.
Brydes Whale Species
There are two species of Brydes
Whale too.
The Brydes Whale (Balaenoptera brydei) can weigh about 18 tons and is found mostly in warm waters between about 0-40 degrees latitudes in both hemispheres.
Pygmy Brydes Whale (Balaenoptera edeni) is smaller, weighs about 12 tons and its distribution is not exactly known.
The Brydes Whale (Balaenoptera brydei) can weigh about 18 tons and is found mostly in warm waters between about 0-40 degrees latitudes in both hemispheres.
Pygmy Brydes Whale (Balaenoptera edeni) is smaller, weighs about 12 tons and its distribution is not exactly known.
More- Pygmy Right Whale
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