Sperm Whale

True Wild Life | Sperm Whale | The sperm whale is one of the world's water giants and is found in ocean waters worldwide. Although historically known as the common cachalot, the sperm whale gets it's name from the waxy-liquid substance found in it's head, that is used in candles, soap and cosmetics by humans. The sperm whale was once found in large groups, known as pods, around the world but extensive whaling of the sperm whale has led to it being classified as a vulnerable species today. The sperm whale is most commonly found in the deep ocean, where there is an abundance of food and along continental shelves.

Minke Whale

True Wild Life | Minke Whale | There are two recognised subspecies of minke whale, the common minke whale and the larger Antarctic minke whale, both however are classified as baleen whales meaning that minke whales filter food from the water rather than biting it. The common minke whale (dwarf minke whale) is generally found in the North Atlantic Ocean and also parts of the North Pacific Ocean. The common minke whale (dwarf minke whale) is the smaller of the two minke whale subspecies with adult common minke whales reaching about 5 m in length.

Humpback Whale

True Wild Life | Humpback Whale | The humpback whale is one of the bigger species of whale with the average adult humpback whale measuring more than 15m long (thats still about half the size of the blue whale). Humpback whales are found in all of the main oceans worldwide, but the humpback whales tend to stay in three main herds, the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean herds. There were once thought to be less than 15,000 humpback whale individuals left in the wild, with the humpback whale population declining by nearly 90% when whale hunting became popular with humans, meaning that the humpback whale was on the verge of extinction. Since new whaling laws have been put into place the humpback whale population has been allowed to grow again and today there are believed to be roughly 80,000 humpback whale individuals left in the wild.

Fin Whale

True Wild Life | Fin Whale | The fin whale is a large marine mammal that is found throughout ocean waters worldwide. The fin whale is the second largest whale in the world behind the blue whale, and also the second largest animal on Earth (obviously after the blue whale again). The fin whale has a long and slender body which can grow to lengths of more than 20 meters. The body of the fin whale is generally blue or grey in colour and slighter lighter on the underside of the fin whale.

Blue Whale

True Wild Life | Blue Whale | Blue Whales are the largest recorded mammal on earth some reaching nearly 120ft. The blue whale is found in pretty much all oceans but the whales tend to prefer the warmer waters. The blue whale has been nearly hunted to extinction by man when eastern Asian whaling came into fashion a few of hundred years ago. There are less than 12,000 blue whales left worldwide. Blue whales feed mainly on krill but also small fish and squid, that swim inside their enormous mouths. The blue whale has thousands of extremely fine teeth that allow water to filter out of the whales mouth, without the whales catch escaping.

Killer Whale

 

True Wild Life | Killer Whale | Killer Whales (orca) are found in all the worlds oceans both hot and cold from the freezing waters of the North and South poles to tropical seas. The killer whale is the biggest member of the dolphin family, and there are about 5 different species of killer whale in the oceans. Killer whales hunt in groups called pods that normally contain from 6 to 40 killer whales. The killer whales hunt larger fish, seal and sea lion and often sea birds and mammals. Killer whales are sadly hunted worldwide for their meat and whale blubber, which is used as an old form of fuel. Due to whaling bans in recent years, the killer whale population can begin to recover again.