What are beluga whales and narwhals like?
What kinds of toothed whales are there? There are several families of Odontoceti, or toothed whales: • sperm whales • pygmy sperm whales • beaked whales • river-dolphins (3 families) • belugas and narwhals • dolphins • porpoises What is unique about toothed whales? Nearly 90% of cetacean species are toothed whales. Most toothed whales are small dolphins and porpoise, however there are a few large toothed whales such as the killer whale and the mighty sperm whale, which grows to 60 feet (18.3 meters) in length. Toothed whales are believed to be some of the most intelligent animals on earth. Dolphins as well as beluga and killer whales have demonstrated their intelligence while in captivity, and sperm whales possess the largest brain of any creature alive. The presence of teeth and one external blowhole distinguishes toothed whales from baleen whales. Also, most toothed whales use echolocation to locate food and “see” their environment. Why were toothed whales hunted? Throughout history,
