Whale Glossary

Below are the definitions to many whale terms that you'll see on this website, or when talking about whales in general.

Albino: A whale (or any animal) lacking color in its skin, hair, and eyes.

Baleen: A strong plate of keratin, frayed on one edge, in the mouth of a baleen whale to strain water through.

Blowholes: Nostrils on the top of a whale's head used to blowout stale air from the whale's lungs.

Breaching: Behavior in which a whale leaps out of the water and lands with a splash.

Cetacea: The large order of animals that includes all whales and dolphins.

Echolocation: The sonar-like use of reflected sound waves to locate food and other objects.

Flippers: Paddlelike forelimbs that help a whale steer through water.

Fluke: Half of a whale's tail. Two flukes together form the whale's flat, rigid tail. The tail moves up and down to propel the whale through water.

Gestation: The amount of time it takes for an animal to develop inside its mother's womb.

Keratin: Continuously growing substance that forms human nails and hair and the baleen of whales.
 
Krill: Tiny, shrimp-like animals that are the main food of many whales and marine animals.

Lob-tailing: Behavior in which a whale raises its fluke out of the water and hits the surface, making a smacking noise.

Migrations: Moving regularly from one area to another.

Monogamous: Having only one mate.

Polar oceans: Cold oceans near the North and South poles.

Rorquals: A special group of baleen whales with pleated throats that expand while feeding.

Spout: Misty spray blown into the air when a whale comes to the surface to breathe.

Spyhopping: Behavior in which a whale raises its head above the surface of the water to look around.

Streamlined: A simplified design to reduce resistance while moving through water or air.

Weaned: When a calf is no longer nursing on its mother's milk.