Different Types of Whales
"What
other different types of whales are there..."
On this page are the groups of whales that didn't fit into Right Whales, Rorquals, porpoise dolphins, ocean dolphins or river dolphins.
Gray Whales
Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) is a large whale as are right whales and rorquals. It belongs however its own family because it is different in that it has a longer gestation period, and it is a benthic feeder. It can weight up to 35 tonnes and can grow up to 15m long. It is found in coastal waters in Pacific Ocean in the Northern Hemisphere: along the western coast of North America; and along the eastern coast of China and Russia's far east.
Beaked Whales
Beaked Whales is an interesting group of at least 20 species of whales, many of which have only been discovered recently (and many are likely still to be discovered). They are active predators (as opposed to baleen whales), but instead of grabbing their prey with teeth, they suck it into their mouth. They can weigh up to 12 tonnes, but many species are lighter than 1 tonne. Some examples on Beaked Whale species are Blainville's Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon layardii), Gingko-toothed Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon gingkodens), Andrew's Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon bowdoini), Pygmy Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon peruvianus), Hector's Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon Hectori), Cuvier's Beaked Whale, and Southern Bottlenose Whale (Hyperoodon planifrons) and Northern Bottlenose Whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus)
Beluga Whales
Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas) belong to the family Monotontidae, and the genus Delphinapterus. They are unusual types of whales - they are white, live in Arctic polar regions, and they lack a dorsal fin. They are found north of the 60 degree latitude in the Northern Hemisphere, and they are also found north of the Polar Circle.
Narwhal Whales
Narwhal Whales (Monodon monoceros) are the only species (of genus Monodon) within the family Monodontidae, and they are just as unusual as are Beluga Whales. Their most unusual feature is the long tusk that male narwhals have on their heads. Like Belugas, Narwhals lack the dorsal fin, and they also inhabit polar regions. They live even farther north than Belugas - above 80 degrees latitude, in the Arctic Ocean.
Sperm Whales
Giant Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus, family Physeteridae) are probably the most widespread types of whales - they are found in all the world's oceans except the Arctic Polar regions, and a few small areas like between Australia and New Guinea; east of Russia's far east; and north-east and south-east of South America. Dwarf Sperm Whale (Kogia Sima) and Pygmy Sperm Whale (Kogia breviceps) look like small versions of Sperm Whales but they belong to a different family - Kogiidae. Both are found across all the world's oceans, roughly between 0 and 40 degree latitudes in both hemispheres.
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