Get Caught Up

Part 2: Endearing Giants: Behavior and Vocalizations

With complex social behaviors and groups, dramatic surface activity and a variety of underwater sounds, cetaceans are a very appealing and entertaining group of marine animals. Baleen whales are often spotted as solitary individuals, in mother-calf pairs, or in competitive groupings where males compete for a female. Where there is abundant food, large groups may also be seen feeding. Odontocetes are more likely to have larger, longer-lasting social associations. “Pods” are groups of mixed age and sex in which membership is not rigid: the composition of these groups can be quite fluid, although individuals may form strong bonds-particularly between a mother and her calf.

In competition for mates, male whales and dolphins may make physical contact, and may, as is often the case in sperm whales, injure one another. The well-known sounds of male humpback whales are thought to be primarily used by females for mate selection but may also aid in other communication and possibly also navigation. Calves often stay in close physical contact with their mother, and are also known to be “babysat” by other adult whales should the mother dive from the surface. The sounds created by some surface activities, such as breaching (leaping clear of the water) or lobtailing (slapping the water with tail flukes), may also function in communication between individuals.

Cetaceans demonstrate a variety of problem-solving behaviors, including cooperative feeding and defense. Their capacity for learning has given captive odontocetes several functions in human society, from dolphin shows to performing useful underwater tasks such as finding mines. Dolphins are also known for their willingness to interact with humans and their seeming playfulness as they ride waves, chase and throw objects to one another, even in the wild.

Surface behaviors make cetaceans not only visible, but also impressive to watch.
Whale watchers around the world turn out to see the characteristic whale behaviors of breaching, lobtailing, pec slapping (slapping the surface of the water with pectoral fins-particularly done by humpbacks) and spy-hopping (raising the head clear of the water’s surface, perhaps to get a better view of their surroundings). Dolphins and other odontocetes will sometimes ride the waves at the front of boats (bow-riding) or follow alongside, porpoising (leaping out of the water). The list of countries and communities that offer whale and dolphin watching opportunities is growing all the time and some of the most surefire places to see these animals are listed below. In addition to the larger species mentioned here, several varieties of dolphins are regularly seen in all of these locations.

•West coast of North America and Hawaii: Humpback, Grey, Orcas, Bryde’s, Fin, Minke, Blue
•New England and Maritime Canada: Humpback, Northern Right, Fin, Minke, Pilot, Northern Bottlenose Whale
•Florida, The Bahamas and Caribbean: Sperm, Humpback, Bryde’s, Pilot, False Killer
•Ecuador/Colombia, the East Coast of South America: Humpback, Southern Right
•Iceland and Norway: Minke, Fin, Orca, Sperm, Sei, Humpback, Blue, Pilot
•Greenland and Faroe Islands: Humpbacks, Fin, Minke, Pilot
•British Isles: Pilot, Minke
•Mediterranean: Fin, Sperm, Cuvier’s Beaked
•Canaries and Azores: Short-finned Pilot, Sperm, Beaked whales
•South Africa and Madagascar: Southern Right, Humpback
•South Asia: Dwarf Sperm, Pilot, Melon-headed, Sperm
•Japan: Humpback, Bryde’s, Short-finned Pilot, Sperm
•Australia and New Zealand: Sperm, Humpbacks, Southern Right,
•Oceania: Humpback, Sperm, Short-finned Pilot
•Arctic: Belugas, Narwhals, Grey, Minke, Fin, Humpback, Orca
•Antarctica: Minke, Humpback, Long-finned Pilot, Fin, Sei, Cuvier’s Beaked
(Cawardine et al)

For a special treatment of whale-watching in the Caribbean, please visit: http://www.caribbeanwhalefriends.org/whale_watching.htm