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Whales (Ecotourism)
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Whales are mammals that live in the ocean like fish, but they are very, very different from fish. One of the biggest differences between whales and fish is that whales need to breathe air. They have lungs, and they need to come to the surface of the water often for air. Their blowhole is like their nose, which is on top of their heads. It is located on the top of their head so that the whale can breathe fresh air without coming very far out of the water. Before a whale dives under the water, they will take several deep breathes - just like you would do before diving under the water.
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Whales are very large animals. They can grow up to 100 ft. or more in length. They can weigh up to 200 tons or more. Whales live in families called pods. These pods vary in numbers and consist of family members and family friends. Whales live in these families their whole life.
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Whales have sleek, streamlined bodies that move easily through the water. They are the only mammals, other than manatees, that live their entire lives in the water, and the only mammals that have adapted to life in the open oceans. Like all mammals, whales have lungs and they breathe air. They are warm-blooded, have a four-chambered heart, and nurse their young with milk from the mother. Unlike fish which swim by moving their tail left and right, whales swim by moving their flukes or tail flippers up and down.
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Minke Whales do not have a visible blow and usually exhibit erratic surfacing patterns. However, they are easily sighted by their relatively large dorsal fin and dark body. There appear to be some resident Minke Whales that feed in southern Monterey Bay and along the Big Sur coast. They usually are found as singles.
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Whales, dolphins and porpoises belong to the family of marine mammals known as cetaceans. Unlike fish, cetaceans are air-breathing, warm-blooded mammals that bear live young and nurse them on milk. Cetaceans play an important role in the life of the ocean, serving as flagships for the health and well-being of the whole marine ecosystem.
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Whales ... swim very differently than fish. A fish swims by moving its tail from side to side, but a whale moves it’s tail up and down to propel itself through the water. Another difference between fish and whales is that whales do not have scales like fish do! Whales are covered with skin which is very smooth and firm. It kind of feels like soft rubber to the touch.
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Whales (Ecotourism)