WHALES
Whales are far from being understood. Researchers have tracked their migration routes, studied their birthing, observed their feeding habits, listened to their sounds and songs, as well as having done full dissections.

And yet we really know little of them. We do know that they are social creatures and that they live in groups, called pods. We do know that they are mammals, and that as a species in water, breathe air as we do. Researchers see that whales have complex social patterns… READ

ENDANGERED WHALES

The initial decline of whale populations was brought about by commercial whaling—hunting whales to make a profit from selling whale parts. Whale hunting, which started in the 1700s, was a very big business until about 60 years ago. Whales were hunted so that people could use the blubber (whale fat) for oil in lamps and to make candles and soap. The plates from baleen whales were used for making women’s clothing, umbrellas, fishing rods and other things. Sperm whales were hunted because of the large quantity of sperm oil in their heads, which was sold for making candles, make-up and other things. READ

HUNTING WHALES

Many people consider that the method of slaughtering whales is extremely cruel. Although whaling fleets may be highly sophisticated, equipped with sonar, helicopters, long-range explosive harpoons and factory ships, the actual kill is barbaric. The whale is killed by a 90kg, 2 metre-long iron harpoon, shot from a 90mm cannon. The harpoon head contains a time-fuse grenade which, literally, blows the whale’s insides apart seconds after impact. This does not usually kill the whale immediately and it may suffer for hours before finally dying. READ

THE WHALE SONG

The Whale song is the sound made by whales to communicate. Within the scientific world, the word “song” is used to describe the pattern of regular and predictable sounds made by some species of whales, notably the Humpback Whale. This is included with or in comparison with music, and male humpback whales have been described as “inveterate composers” of songs that are “‘strikingly similar’ to human musical traditions”. READ

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