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, humans hunted toothed whales for oil and food. Sperm whales were prized by commercial whalers for the large amount of oil that could be produced from their blubber and spermaceti organ and for ambergris (a waxy substance that forms around squid beaks in the whales’
