RESPIRATION II9 



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ifri 



Figure 6g. Various surface views of the Southern Right Whale. {Matthews, 1938.) 



The remaining Odontocetes emit vague blows which only last for a 

 moment. 



Whereas the contours of the blows of Bottlenose and Little Piked whales 

 are also somewhat vague, the shape of other blows during calm spells is 

 an excellent indication of the species (Fig. 56). Right Whales have a 

 double \'-shaped blow and can therefore be easily distinguished from 

 Rorquals which have a single blow (Fig. 69). Californian Gi-ey Whales, 

 which are an intermediate species in respect of many characteristics, 

 sometimes have a double and sometimes a single blow. The blow of 

 all Rorquals is single and vertical, and the individual species cannot easily 

 be distinguished by it (Fig. 56) . However, the Blue Whale has a high and 

 often pear-shaped blow that gets progressively broader towards the top 

 while the blow of Fin and Sei whales is shorter and less conical. The blow 

 of the Humpback is shorter still and more pronouncedly pear-shaped. 

 Even so, none of these differences are very clear-cut, and even experienced 

 gunners often confuse the blows of Rorquals, particularly on windy days. 

 Identification is easier in the case of Sperm Whales whose pear-shaped 

 blows emerge at an angle of about 45° from the left side of the tip of the 

 head, instead of from the top (Fig. 70). unfairly calm days, therefore, 

 identification is very easy, but on stormy days even the Sperm Whale may 

 be confused with a Rorqual whose blow may appear oblique in the wind 

 (Fig. 71). The Sperm Whale's blow is, by the way, much longer than it 

 looks, because its ol)lique direction has a misleading optical effect. 



If the ship sails up close enough, we may even see the blowhole of our 

 whale, as it is likely to be quite unafraid of the ship, diving playfully 

 beneath it. When it surfaces to exhale in a shrill vibrato, we catch our 

 first glimpse of the blowhole opening (Figs. 72 and 73). We may also hear 



