Figure 9. — Closeup views of swimming blue whales off British Columbia (top) and Baja California (bottom). In both photos note the broad rounded 

 appearance of the head and the single, prominent central head ridge. In the animal on the top note also the black baleen plates, barely visible at the 

 front of the slightly open mouth. In the animal on the bottom note the pattern of light grayish-white mottling along the back and the raised areas 

 around the blowholes. These features clearly mark these animals as blue whales. iPhotoi by R. M. GUmore [top] and K. C. Balcomb [bottom].) 



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