whale: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Nov. 12, 2026

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Photos and Videos

killer whale (Orcinus orca)

Illustration showing various cetaceans, including baleen whales like the blue whale, fin whale, humpback whale, gray whale, sei whale, northern right whale, and bowhead whale, as well as toothed whales such as the sperm whale, narwhal, beluga, Baird's beaked whale, killer whale, dolphins, and porpoises. Each species is labeled with its scientific name and typical or maximum length, with a size scale in the corner for reference.

World map showing the breeding grounds and migration routes of the humpback whale. Breeding grounds are marked with blue shaded circles in tropical and subtropical waters near Central America, the South Pacific, western Africa, and the Indian Ocean. Black arrows indicate migration routes stretching between these breeding areas and feeding grounds in higher latitudes near the poles.

Beluga, or white whale (Delphinapterus leucas).

breaching humpback

A humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breaches above the ocean surface near Tofino, with misty mountains and forested coastline in the background.

Humpback whale surfacing, showing blowholes.

Illustration of a beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) with a pale, smooth body, shown next to a faint scuba diver silhouette for size comparison. Measurement bars indicate the whale is about 4 meters (13 feet) long.

Humpback whales: Size, behavior, and threats

Explore the Whale Museum and the whales around the San Juan Islands

Meet the manta rays, barracudas, sharks, sperm and right whales, and seals in their natural habitat

How whales and dolphins use the sounds they make

Baby beluga whales in Canada

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Topics

What Is a Whale Graveyard?What do whales eat?baleen whale How long can whales hold their breath?Do whales have teeth?Why do whales sing?Do whales sleep?toothed whale whaling whale vocalization manatee dolphin seal sea lion sirenian pinniped dugong porpoise walrus sea otter

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