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whale
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images & Videos
killer whale (Orcinus orca) species of whales breeding grounds and migration routes of the humpback whale
Humpback whales: Size, behavior, and threats
Explore the Whale Museum and the whales around the San Juan Islands
Beluga, or white whale (Delphinapterus leucas). whaling breaching humpback A humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breaching the ocean surface near Tofino, B.C., Can. Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breaching.
For Students
whale summary
Quizzes
Dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius). Animals, mammals.
Ultimate Animals Quiz
Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters
Animal Group Names
Lion (panthera leo)
Deadliest Animals Quiz
Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)
Wild Words from the Animal Kingdom Vocabulary Quiz
The cheetah is the fastest land animal over short distances. It has become an endangered species in Africa, and is almost extinct in Asia. Cheetah mother with young. Cheetah cubs
Moms of the Animal Kingdom Quiz
Read Next
Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvieri).
14 Questions About Aquatic Animals Answered
cat. orange and white persian cat with long hair, snarl, growl, teeth
7 Questions About Mammals Answered
Portrait of a mountain gorilla at a short distance. gorilla close up portrait.The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei)
Falling Stars: 10 of the Most Famous Endangered Species
A brief history of whaling. infographic, whales
Japan Maneuvers to Skirt Whaling Restrictions
animal. Amphibian. Frog. Anura. Ranidae. Frog in grass.
Abundant Animals: The Most Numerous Organisms in the World
Discover
Gerald R. Ford playing golf during a working vacation on Mackinac Island in Michigan, July 13, 1975. Gerald Ford.
9 U.S. Presidents with the Most Vetoes
Illustration for Demystified "How Dangerous is Quicksand"
How Deadly Is Quicksand?
Cuban Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) single adult male, Zapata peninsula, Cuba, Caribbean.Bee hummingbirds are the smallest birds in the world.
Queen Mab’s Stable: 7 of the Smallest Animals
Bakers Dozen of Donuts, or Paczki's
Why Is a Baker’s Dozen 13?
Turtle, tortoise, reptile. Uses assets 88582 & 89606
What’s the Difference Between a Turtle and a Tortoise?
Periodical Cicada, Adult, Magicicada spp. Requires 17 years to complete development. Nymph splits its skin, and transforms into an adult. Feeds on sap of tree roots. Northern Illinois Brood. This brood is the largest emergence of cicadas anywhere
Why Do Some Cicadas Appear Only Every 17 Years?
Lusitania sinking, illustration from The War of the Nations (New York), December 31, 1919. World War I, WWI. This image is one of three on the page. (See source file for the other two.)
7 of the World’s Deadliest Shipwrecks

whale: Media

mammal

Videos

Humpback whales: Size, behavior, and threats
Learn about the humpback whale.
Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
Explore the Whale Museum and the whales around the San Juan Islands
A discussion of whales around the San Juan Islands of Washington, from the documentary...
Video: Great Museums Television (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
Meet the manta rays, barracudas, sharks, sperm and right whales, and seals in their natural habitat
Underwater footage of manta rays, barracudas, sharks, sperm and right whales, seals,...
Video: Carl Finkbeiner (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
How whales and dolphins use the sounds they make
John Rafferty, associate editor of Earth sciences of Encyclopædia Britannica,...
Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Baby beluga whales in Canada
Female belugas returning to Canada's Hudson Bay to give birth and raise their young.
Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Christopher Meder/Dreamstime.com
Visit Rurutu, French Polynesia, and watch humpback whales
Humpback-whale watching at Rurutu, French Polynesia.
Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
Studying humpback whales in the South Pacific
Marine biologists studying the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) in...
Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
Listen to a humpback whale pod communicate via underwater “songs”
Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) recorded at sea.
Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Experience whale watching in Samaná Bay, Dominican Republic and efforts to protect the breathtaking creatures
Whale watching in Samaná Bay, Dominican Republic.
Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
Encountering a newborn sperm whale
A diver encountering a newborn sperm whale.
Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
What is known about True's beaked whale?
An overview of beaked whales, particularly True's beaked whale (Mesoplodon mirus).
Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Know the different theories explaining why whales become beached onshore
Learn why whales—such as pilot whales at Fairwell Spit, New Zealand—sometimes get...
Video: © Behind the News (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Images

killer whale (Orcinus orca)
Killer whale (Orcinus orca).
Nature Picture Library/Alamy
species of whales
Whales (order Cetacea).
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
breeding grounds and migration routes of the humpback whale
Breeding grounds and migration routes of the humpback whale.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Beluga, or white whale (Delphinapterus leucas).
E.R. Degginger/Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
whaling
Japanese factory ship hauling a minke whale through a slipway in the ship's stern,...
Culley/Greenpeace
breaching humpback
Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breaching.
Al Giddings/Images Unlimited
A humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breaching the ocean surface near...
© Josef78/Shutterstock.com
Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breaching.
© Comstock Images/Jupiterimages
Humpback whale surfacing, showing blowholes.
Vincent Serventy
Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas).
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
blue whale
Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus).
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Orca, or killer whale (Orcinus orca).
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis).
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
A moratorium on commercial whaling was finally imposed in 1986 after decades of overhunting...
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
VIEW MORE in these related Britannica articles: