About Cetaceans
Cetacea is the order of marine mammals that include whales and dolphins and porpoises.
But what exactly is a cetacean?
A cetacean is a mammal, i.e. the young suckle milk from their mothers at birth, and like us they breathe air and have, like us, lungs and warm blood.
These are the main differences from fish, so cetaceans should not be confused with fish, which lay eggs, have scales and breathe through their gills.
Another way to differentiate a cetacean from a fish is the way they move, as fish move the caudal fin (tail) horizontally, i.e. from side to side, while cetaceans move it vertically, i.e. up and down.
Dolphins live in very defined and structured social groups (pods). They are very solidary creatures within their groups, they help the sick or young to the surface to breath and defend each other from possible danger.
ODONTOCETOS which means whale with teeth. Dolphins, killer whales, beaked whales, porpoises... all belong to this group, and its greatest representative is the sperm whale.
Their main food is fish and squid.
MISTICETES - they do not have teeth, but instead have barbs on the inside of their mouths with which they filter the water, keeping food, mainly plankton (small organisms) and small fish, inside.
This group includes the humpback whale, the fin whale and the Bryde's whale among others. Some whales
form a circle-shaped wall of bubbles to trap plankton on the surface.
Do you want to see these beautiful sea mammals in their natural environment? Check out our tours for whale watching in Gran Canaria..
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Copyright © 2023 Dolphin-Whale Todos los derechos reservados.