(40-65 feet [12-20 m| maximum overall length) 



Without a Dorsal Fin 



There are three species of large whales without a dorsal 

 fin in the western North Atlantic Ocean. Two of these, the 

 bowhead or Greenland whale, and its more widely distributed 

 close relative the right whale, are baleen whales. The third, 

 the sperm whale, is a toothed whale. The first two have 

 relatively smooth backs without even a trace of a dorsal fin. 

 The sperm whale has a humplike low, thick, dorsal ridge, 

 which, from certain views, particularly when the animal is 

 humping up to begin a dive, may be clearly visible and look 

 like a fin. But because the profile of that hump and the 

 knuckles which follow it are often not very prominent in this 

 species, it has been classified with the finless big whales. 



All three species are characterized by very distinctive 

 blows or spouts. In both the bowhead and the right whales, 

 the projection of the blow upward from two widely separated 



blowholes assumes a very wide V-shape with two distinct 

 columns, which may be seen when the animals are viewed 

 from front or back. Though this character may be visible 

 under ideal conditions in many of the other baleen whales 

 species as well, it is exaggerated and uniformly distinct in the 

 bowhead and right whales and may be used as one of the 

 primary key characters. In the sperm whale, the blow 

 emanates from a blowhole which is displaced to the left of the 

 head near the front and projects obliquely forward to the 

 animal's left. This blow seen under ideal conditions positively 

 labels a large whale as a sperm whale. 



Remember, however, that wind conditions may affect the 

 disposition and duration of the blow of any species and that a 

 single character alone is seldom sufficient to permit positive 

 identification. 



Body to 65 feet (19.8 m) long. 



Body dark; back smooth. 



Chin and belly often white. 



Head lacks callosities. 



Baleen dark gray with gray fringes; to 12 feet (3.7 m) or more. 



Upper jaw and lower lip strongly arched. 



Two blowholes clearly separated. 



Blow projects upward in wide Vshape. 



Distribution restricted to Arctic waters south to Davis Straits. 



Flukes raised on longer dives. 



Bowhead whale 



Balaena mysticetus 

 p. 49 



Body to 53 feet (16.2 m) long. 



Body from dark to light gray and mottled; back smooth; chin and 

 belly usually white. 



Head and lower jaw covered with callosities (the largest of which is 

 called the bonnet and is set on top of the snout). 



Baleen usually dark gray with dark fringes; to 7.2 feet (2. 2 m). When 

 animals swim, mouth agape, near surface; baleen sometimes 

 appears pale brownish to yellowish g^ay in color. 



Upper jaw and lower lip strongly arched. 



Two blowholes clearly separated. 



Blow projects upward in wide V-shape. 



Distribution extends from Iceland south at least to Florida and re- 

 ported from Texas. 



Flukes raised on longer dives. 



Right whale 



Eubalaena gladalis 

 p. 52 



Body to 69 feet (20.9 m) long; males grow significantly larger than 



females. 

 Body dark grayish brown to brown; wrinkled in appearance. 

 Back has rounded hump followed by knuckles. 

 Head boxlike, comprises up to 40% of body length. 

 From 18 to 25 functional teeth in each side of narrow lower jaw. 

 Single blowhole on left of head at front. 

 Blow projects forward obliquely from head and to left. 

 Distribution extends from tropics to Arctic; adult males distributed 



farther north. 

 Flukes raised on longer dives. 



Sperm whale 



Physeter catodon 

 p. 57 



'These figures are near maximum sizes recorded for the North Atlantic. All three species have been heavily exploited by 

 whale fisheries. Therefore maximum sizes today may be significantly less than these figures (see text). 



It should also be noted that differences in methods of measurements often account for discrepancies in reported lengths. 



13 



