Baleen whales
Blue whales and humpbacks have comb-like baleen plates instead of teeth. They take in mouthfuls of water and strain out tiny animals such as krill.
- Blue whale
- Humpback whale
- Gray whale
Meet the neighbors
Whales are wonderfully different.
Some are enormous, some are speedy, and every whale has its own way of living in the ocean.
Whale family roll call
Two big branches of the family
Scientists group whales by how they eat.
Toothed whales
Orcas, dolphins and sperm whales have teeth. Many use clicks and echoes to find food and understand what is around them.
- Orca
- Sperm whale
- Beluga
1Blue whales are the largest animals known to have lived on Earth.
2Whales breathe air, so they come to the surface to breathe.
3A whale’s tail is called a fluke.
Get to know a humpback
Humpbacks are famous for their long pectoral fins and powerful leaps. Their seasonal journeys can cover thousands of miles between feeding and breeding areas. Each whale has a distinctive pattern on the underside of its tail, a little like a fingerprint.
Explore whale habitats →