Cetacean ID Flashcards
(60 cards)
1
Q
Blue Whale
A
- very large
- mottled grey/blue
- tall straight blow
- u-shaped head, rounded with central ridge
- ventral pleats
- very small dorsal fin on the back of the body
- shows fluke
- atlantic and pacific
2
Q
Fin Whale
A
- very large
- dark grey/black/brown on top with a light underside. Right lower jaw is white. Light coloured streaks (chevron) over back of head.
- blow is tall and columnar
- v-shaped head with small ridge
- ventral pleats
- tall and falcate (sickle-shaped) much bigger than blue whales dorsal fin
- Atlantic and pacific
3
Q
Sei Whale
A
- large
- dark grey/brown, whitish belly
- tall and columnar blow
- pointed with single prominent ridge head
- ventral pleats
- prominent and falcate, swept backwards dorsal fin
- Atlantic and pacific
4
Q
Minke Whale
A
- medium
- dark grey on back, whitish belly. Bright white patches on flippers (mittens).
- diffuse but not visible blow
- sharply pointed prominent ridge head
- ventral pleats
- tall and curved backwards dorsal fin
- Atlantic and pacific
5
Q
Humpback Whale
A
- large
- black/dark grey on back, some white on belly. Very long white flippers
- tall, bush blow
- rounded with central ridge and many bumps on lips and chin
- low and broad-based (hump) dorsal fin
- coastal atlantic and pacific
6
Q
Grey Whale
A
- large
- brownish grey with orangish patches
- bush and heart-shaped blow
- triangular from top, top jaw is slightly arched
- 2 short venteral pleats
- dorsal hump
- costal Pacific
7
Q
Bowhead Whale
A
- very large
- all black, white chin, grey to white around tail stock
- bushy and v-shaped blow
- highly arched jaws, distinct ‘neck’ with large bulge around blowhole
- Arctic
8
Q
Right Whale
A
- large
- all black with white areas on belly, rough patches on head are cream-coloured (growth of sea lice)
- bushy and v-shaped blow
- highly arched jaws
- smooth all-black flute
9
Q
Sperm Whale
A
- Large/Very large
- brown/grey, white lips inside mouth
- boxy body shape, wrinkly behind head
- square head, and 1/3 males blow in an angle
- dorsal fin is like a bump with knuckles following it
- teeth in lower jaw
- triangular flukes with deep notch
- Atlantic and Pacific
10
Q
Northern Bottlenose Whale
A
- Medium
- dark grey/brown
- robust body
- tube-like beak (similar to dolphin) with a round melon head
- sickle-shaped and tall dorsal fin
- Atlantic and Arctic
11
Q
Narwal
A
- Medium
- White belly; back and sides variously mottled with black spots and blotches, calf grey
- round body
- no beak, round melon head
- no dorsal
- long tusk
- Arctic
12
Q
Beluga
A
- Medium
- white; calves are greyish
- flattened belly, blubbery
- no dorsal but ridge
- Arctic
13
Q
Killer Whale
A
- Medium
- black and white patterns
- stocky bold shape
- large dorsal (especially in males)
- large round flippers
- Global
14
Q
Long-finned Pilot Whale
A
- Medium
- all black with whitish band behind dorsal and white anchor-shapes mark on chest
- large, broad-based dorsal fin
- long tappered flippers
- Atlantic
15
Q
Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin
A
- small
- black/dark grey back, grey stripe along the body with white underside. Clear yellow streak on tail stock
- small beak with black line running to eye
- tall and slightly curced dorsal fin
- large ‘keel’
- Atlantic
16
Q
White-beaked dolphin
A
- Small
- mostly dark grey with white belly/beak/tail stock
- tall and slightly curved dorsal fin
- Atlantic and Arctic
17
Q
Pacific White-Sided Dolphin
A
- small
- black/dark grey with light grey sides and black border between side and white bottom
- sleek body shape
- short, thick, and black beak
- tall and curved with black front and whitish trailing edge dorsal fin
- large flippers
- Pacific
18
Q
Short-beaked Common Dolphin
A
- small
- dark grey/brown with V-shaped light grey saddle; hour-glass pattern with yellow patch in fron and greyish in the back
- black eye mask
- slender and streamlined bodyshape
- long and pointed black beak
- tall and slightly curved dorsal fin
- Atlantic and Pacific
19
Q
Dall’s Porpoise
A
- small
- striking black and white
- veru robust and solid body shape
- no beak or separation from melon
- triangular, hooked, with white tip and trailing edge dorsal fin
- Pacific
20
Q
Harbour Porpoise
A
- small
- grey on top, whitish belly lines from jaw to flipper
- stocky body
- no beak
- triangular dorsal with broad base
- Atlantic and Pacific
21
Q
A
Blue Whale (very large & Atlantic/pacific)
22
Q
A
Blue Whale (very large & Atlantic/pacific)
23
Q
A
Fin Whale (very large & Atlantic/pacific)
24
Q
A
Fin Whale (very large & Atlantic/pacific)
25
Sei Whale (large & Atlantic/pacific)
26
Sei whale (large & Atlantic/pacific)
27
Minke Whale
28
Minke Whale
29
Humpback whale (Large & coastal Atlantic/Pacific)
30
Humpback whale (large & costal Atlantic/pacific)
31
Grey whale (large & coastal pacific)
32
Grey whale (large & coastal pacific)
33
Bowhead whale (very large & arctic)
34
Bowhead whale (very large & arctic)
35
Right whale (large & Atlantic)
36
Right whale (large & Atlantic)
All black fluke
37
Sperm whale (large/very large & Atlantic/pacific)
38
Sperm whale (large/very large & Atlantic/pacific)
39
Northern bottlenose whale (medium & Atlantic/arctic)
40
Northern bottlenose whale (medium & Atlantic/arctic)
41
Narwhal (medium & arctic)
42
Narwhal (medium & arctic)
43
Beluga (medium & arctic)
44
Beluga (medium & arctic)
45
Killer Whale (medium & global)
46
Killer Whale (medium & global)
47
Long-finned pilot whale (medium & Atlantic)
48
Long-finned pilot whale (medium & Atlantic)
49
Atlantic white-sided dolphin (small & Atlantic)
50
Atlantic white-sided dolphin (small & Atlantic)
51
White-beaked dolphin (small & Atlantic/arctic)
52
White-beaked dolphin (small & Atlantic/arctic)
53
Pacific white-sided dolphin (small & pacific)
54
Pacific white-sided dolphin (small & pacific)
55
Short-beaked common dolphin (small & Atlantic/pacific)
56
Pacific white-sided dolphin (small & pacific)
57
Dall’s porpoise (small & pacific)
58
Dall’s porpoise (small & pacific)
59
Harbour porpoise (small & Atlantic/pacific)
60
Harbour porpoise (small & Atlantic/pacific)
