cetaceans
Whales and dolphins
Cetaceans are marine mammals including whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
The term is taxonomic rather than casual—you're more likely to encounter it in nature documentaries or scientific contexts than everyday conversation: Cetaceans are among the most intelligent animals on Earth.
Despite their fish-like appearance, cetaceans are warm-blooded, breathe air, and nurse their young.
Massive marine mammals
Whale's breathing aperture
- baleenWhale's filtering bristles
- flippersFoot-worn swim aids
- flukesParasitic flatworms or lucky accidents
- tailRear animal appendage
melon · rostrum · spout · blubber · lungs · mammary · vertebrae · streamlined
Seed case or cetacean group
- matrilinealDescended through maternal line
- bondingForming close connections
- kinshipState of being related
- alliancesFormal unions for cooperation
nursing · alloparenting · hierarchy · affiliative · cooperative · matriarch · clan · superpod
Navigation through reflected sound
- vocalizationsSounds produced by voice
- clicksBrief sharp sounds
- whistlesHigh-pitched signal sounds
- songsMusical vocal compositions
sonar · calls · dialects · biosonar · ultrasound · infrasound · acoustic · frequency
Breaking through something
- divingEntering water deliberately
- spoutingEmitting in streams
- surfacingComing to the surface
- beachingLanding on shore
stranding · resting · traveling · foraging · logging · porpoising
Mental knowledge acquisition
- self-awarenessInsight into one's psyche
- problem-solvingAddressing challenges methodically
- learningGaining knowledge gradually
- memoryMind's retention capacity
culture · cooperation · play · communication · cortex · training · curiosity · imitation
Small marine crustaceans
- planktonDrifting marine microlife
- fishGilled aquatic vertebrate
- squidTen-armed marine mollusk
- herringSmall silvery Atlantic fish
capelin · copepods · crustaceans · cephalopods · anchovies · sardines · salmon · filter-feeding
At risk of extinction
- threatenedExpressed intent to harm
- extinctionComplete vanishing of a species
- bycatchNon-target species caught accidentally
- entanglementState of being intertwined
pollution · sanctuaries · protection · recovery · captivity · rehabilitation · strandings · overfishing
Massive saltwater body
- marineRelating to the sea
- saltwaterOcean water, chemically speaking
- pelagicOf the open sea
- coastalOf the shoreline
Arctic · Antarctic · tropical · temperate · deep-sea · fjords · estuaries · polar
Reproductive cultivation of organisms
- calvingIce mass separation
- seasonalRecurring at fixed intervals
- navigationDetermining position and course
- routePath from A to B
journey · transoceanic · tracking · wintering · summering · breeding-grounds · cold-water · annual
whales
Massive marine mammals
humpback · beluga · narwhal · bottlenose · minke · bowhead · vaquita
blowhole
Whale's breathing aperture
- baleenWhale's filtering bristles
- flippersFoot-worn swim aids
- flukesParasitic flatworms or lucky accidents
tail · melon · rostrum · spout · blubber · lungs · mammary · vertebrae · streamlined · hydrodynamic
pod
Seed case or cetacean group
- matrilinealDescended through maternal line
- bondingForming close connections
- kinshipState of being related
alliances · nursing · alloparenting · hierarchy · affiliative · cooperative · matriarch · clan · superpod · companions
echolocation
Navigation through reflected sound
- vocalizationsSounds produced by voice
- clicksBrief sharp sounds
- whistlesHigh-pitched signal sounds
songs · sonar · calls · dialects · biosonar · ultrasound · infrasound · acoustic · frequency
breaching
Breaking through something
beaching · stranding · resting · traveling · foraging · logging · porpoising
cognition
Mental knowledge acquisition
- self-awarenessInsight into one's psyche
- problem-solvingAddressing challenges methodically
- learningGaining knowledge gradually
memory · culture · cooperation · play · communication · cortex · training · curiosity · imitation · innovation
krill
Small marine crustaceans
herring · capelin · copepods · crustaceans · cephalopods · anchovies · sardines · salmon · filter-feeding · prey
endangered
At risk of extinction
- threatenedExpressed intent to harm
- extinctionComplete vanishing of a species
- bycatchNon-target species caught accidentally
entanglement · pollution · sanctuaries · protection · recovery · captivity · rehabilitation · strandings · overfishing
ocean
Massive saltwater body
coastal · Arctic · Antarctic · tropical · temperate · deep-sea · fjords · estuaries · polar · Pacific
breeding
Reproductive cultivation of organisms
- calvingIce mass separation
- seasonalRecurring at fixed intervals
- navigationDetermining position and course
route · journey · transoceanic · tracking · wintering · summering · breeding-grounds · cold-water · annual · biannual
- living thingsplants, animals, animal, creature, birds
- zoologymammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects
- Cladesmammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects
- mammal evolutionearly mammals, fossil record, diversification, human evolution, Australopithecus
- dolphins in literatureporpoises, marine mammals
- animalscat, dog, bird, fish, cow