Feeding
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2018 / 10 / 16
Whales with Different Methods of Filtering
Baleen refers to the stiff plates of keratin that hang off the upper jaw of some whales, more precisely mysticetes… but is all baleen alike? Of course not! The size and shape of baleen and how i...
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2018 / 10 / 15
What Do Whales Do at Night?
A curtain closes, night takes over the sky and during its quiet advance the frantic pace of the cities tapers off. But what happens in the St. Lawrence when darkness arrives? What do whales do during ...
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2017 / 04 / 28
North Atlantic Right Whales Making Headlines: What’s Going On?
An unprecedented number of whales in Cape Cod Bay in recent weeks and an abnormally low number of newborns observed this winter off the coasts of Georgia and Florida are causing surprise and raising m...
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2017 / 01 / 11
How did baleen appear?
A recently discovered whale fossil has proven to be an important piece of the puzzle with regard to whale evolution. ...
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2016 / 06 / 14
Study Reveals Exceptional Efficiency of a Small Hunter
The harbour porpoise feeds day and night, aiming to capture up to 550 small fish per hour, with a success rate of over 90%...
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2016 / 04 / 25
When Sharing a Meal Keeps a Family Together
Although a killer whale can easily swallow a whole salmon, it prefers to tear it into pieces to share with family members, according to a recent study...
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2015 / 12 / 11
Sperm Whales Robbing Fishermen of Their Catch
Sablefish fishermen in the Gulf of Alaska face a major competitor to their operations: male sperm whales. The latter come and steal their catch directly from the fishing gear. Fishermen and scientists...
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2015 / 11 / 08
At What Age do Belugas Begin to Feed on Fish?
A beluga mother typically nurses her offspring for 18 months. At that point, the calf's teeth are very small or non-existent. The mother can continue nursing up to thirty months, until the young is ab...
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2015 / 10 / 26
Baleen Whales Possess a Unique Intestinal Microbial Flora
Their intestinal flora has characteristics of that of both carnivorous mammals and ruminants. Bacteria similar to those that can degrade the cellulose walls of plants are found in the intestines of ba...
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2015 / 09 / 15
What do Minke Whales do in the estuary of St. Lawrence?
The minke whale is a fast and agile predator, but as with any marine mammal, it must come to the surface to breathe. This is the compromise between the need to feed below the water surface and oxygen ...