whales
Largest living mammals
Whales are large marine mammals that breathe air and nurse their young.
They range from dolphins and porpoises to the massive blue whale, the largest animal ever to exist.
To whale on something is to strike it repeatedly and forcefully: He whaled on the punching bag.
In gambling, a whale is a high-stakes player courted by casinos.
Whale's breathing aperture
- flukeChance stroke of luck
- baleenWhale's filtering bristles
- blubberMarine mammal fat
- flippersFoot-worn swim aids
tail · dorsal fin · flukes · spout · melon · rostrum · pectoral fins · barnacles
Baleen whale species
- orcaLarge predatory dolphin
- belugaWhite Arctic cetacean
- narwhalSpiral-tusked Arctic whale
- minkeSmall baleen whale species
bowhead · bottlenose · pygmy · dwarf
Breaking through something
- divingEntering water deliberately
- spoutingEmitting in streams
- surfacingComing to the surface
- flukingSucceeding by accident
lunging · logging · swimming · feeding · nursing · stranding · beaching · migration
Pursuing wild game
- harpoonBarbed spear for whales
- blubberMarine mammal fat
- ambergrisWhale-produced perfume fixative
- oilSlippery viscous fluid
scrimshaw · factory ship · Moby Dick · Ahab · Nantucket · commercial · subsistence · moratorium
Extremely large and heavy
- enormousExtremely large in scale
- colossalExtremely large in scale
- leviathanEnormous creature or entity
- behemothCreature of immense size
gargantuan · immense · largest · giant · oceanic · tonnage · length · weight
Musical piece with words
- vocalizationsSounds produced by voice
- echolocationNavigation through reflected sound
- clicksBrief sharp sounds
- callsContacts by telephone
frequency · acoustics · hydrophone · sonar · resonance · decibels · ultrasound · infrasound
Small marine crustaceans
- planktonDrifting marine microlife
- filter-feedingTrapping particles from water
- copepodsMinute aquatic crustaceans
- squidTen-armed marine mollusk
Travel from place to place
- breeding groundsSites where species reproduce
- seasonalRecurring at fixed intervals
- navigationDetermining position and course
- routePath from A to B
Arctic · Antarctic · Baja · warm waters · tracking · biannual · instinct · corridors
At risk of extinction
- protectionGuarding against harm
- sanctuaryProtected sacred space
- moratoriumTemporary prohibition or delay
- bycatchNon-target species caught accidentally
Seed case or cetacean group
- calfJuvenile cow or leg part
- matriarchFemale family leader
- matrilinealDescended through maternal line
- alloparentingChildcare by non-biological caregivers
nursing · bonding · kinship · cooperation · family · group · hierarchy · companionship
blowhole
Whale's breathing aperture
flippers · tail · dorsal fin · flukes · spout · melon · rostrum · pectoral fins · barnacles
humpback
Baleen whale species
minke · bowhead · bottlenose · pygmy · dwarf
breaching
Breaking through something
fluking · lunging · logging · swimming · feeding · nursing · stranding · beaching · migration
hunting
Pursuing wild game
oil · scrimshaw · factory ship · Moby Dick · Ahab · Nantucket · commercial · subsistence · moratorium · quotas
massive
Extremely large and heavy
- enormousExtremely large in scale
- colossalExtremely large in scale
- leviathanEnormous creature or entity
behemoth · gargantuan · immense · largest · giant · oceanic · tonnage · length · weight · heart
song
Musical piece with words
- vocalizationsSounds produced by voice
- echolocationNavigation through reflected sound
- clicksBrief sharp sounds
calls · frequency · acoustics · hydrophone · sonar · resonance · decibels · ultrasound · infrasound · whistles
krill
Small marine crustaceans
- planktonDrifting marine microlife
- filter-feedingTrapping particles from water
- copepodsMinute aquatic crustaceans
squid · fish · gulp · engulfing · prey · foraging · swallowing
journey
Travel from place to place
- breeding groundsSites where species reproduce
- seasonalRecurring at fixed intervals
- navigationDetermining position and course
route · Arctic · Antarctic · Baja · warm waters · tracking · biannual · instinct · corridors
endangered
At risk of extinction
- protectionGuarding against harm
- sanctuaryProtected sacred space
- moratoriumTemporary prohibition or delay
bycatch · entanglement · habitat loss · research · tagging
pod
Seed case or cetacean group
- calfJuvenile cow or leg part
- matriarchFemale family leader
- matrilinealDescended through maternal line
alloparenting · nursing · bonding · kinship · cooperation · family · group · hierarchy · companionship · alliances
- killer whaleApex ocean predator
- whale oilRendered marine mammal fat
- blue whaleLargest mammal on Earth
- whale watchingObserving ocean giants
- white whaleConsuming, elusive pursuit
- commercial whalingBusiness of catching cetaceans
whale, whaling, whaled, whaler, whalebone, whale oil, whaleboat, whaleship, whale watching