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Whale Species, Bakersfield, CA (2026)

07/27/2023

Whale Sharks Feed on Some of the Ocean's Tiniest Creatures

Even though they are huge, whale sharks feed on tiny plankton, small fish, and crustaceans. They feed by gulping mouthfuls of water and forcing that water through their gills. Prey gets trapped in dermal denticles and a rake-like structure called the pharynx. This amazing creature can filter over 1,500 gallons of water an hour.

07/21/2023

The family (infraorder) Cetacea includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. The word Cetacea comes from the Greek work Ketos, meaning whale. A long time ago, around 40 million years ago, the Cetacea group split into two: the baleen whales (including the blue and humpback whales) and the toothed whales (such as dolphins, porpoise, and s***m whales).

This means that dolphins and porpoises are technically whales: they are part of the toothed whale group. This group also includes orca, river dolphins, beluga whales, and narwhals.

The other group of whales is the baleen whales. These whales have baleen instead of teeth, which they use to filter their food through. These are the huge animals that most people commonly think of as whales: the blue, fin, s***m, Sei, right, bowhead, Bryde’s, humpback, minke, and gray whales.

Does Ocean Alliance study all of them?

Technically, Ocean Alliance is dedicated to studying and protecting all members of the Cetacea family. However, over the years, we have come to specialize in a few particular species. Dr. Roger Payne did a lot of his early work with humpback whales and Southern right whales: and we continue to study them today. From 2000-2015 we focused on s***m whales. With our current research program, SnotBot, we have studied 6 species of whale. We have focused on studying humpback and blue whales, but have also studied Southern right whales, gray whales, fin whales, and orca.

05/09/2023

Entanglement

Entanglement represents a significant threat to many marine animals, including humpback whales in Hawai‘i. It has been estimated that hundreds of thousands of whales die each year worldwide as a result of entanglements.

Entanglement may result in starvation or drowning due to restricted movement, physical trauma, and systemic infections. An entangled animal may also be more susceptible to other threats, like vessel collisions. The sanctuary monitors threats and impacts. We coordinate a community-based network to free whales from life-threatening entanglements, and at the same time, working with our partners, gather information to reduce the threat.

03/28/2023

Kauai Whale Watching Tips

1. Plan during the peak season
Although Humpback whales arrive at the Hawaiian islands in November, there is not much whale activity to be seen until January. January through March is considered the peak whale watching season. If you’ve not already booked your tickets, this is the timeframe to aim for to get the best shot at spotting the humpback whales.

2. Watch them from the best whale watching spots in Kauai
Whales are attracted to warm, shallow waters. So heading to Kauai’s beautiful beaches may give you the much needed glimpse of the whales. Kapaa beach on the south shore and Kealia beach on the coconut coast are known for whale sightings. You can also head to Kilauea Lighthouse on the northshore for the panoramic views. Other spots include Koloa landing Site, Kalalau Trail and Kappa Overlook. Check for recent whale sightings in Kauai and plan accordingly.

3. Listen to the songs of the whales
If you listen intently, you’ll know when a whale is nearby. Whales often come to the surface to breathe, and blow water out of their blowholes. So, when you hear a hissing sound, there’s probably a whale nearby. Remember that whales can hold their breath up to 45 minutes underwater. So if you miss one, it’ll be a long wait until the same whale resurfaces again. It helps to stay alert and keep your senses open.

02/20/2023

This ancient whale likely sucked prey into its mouth like a giant vacuum cleaner

Scientists have found a new species of whale ancestor — a toothy cetacean that sucked prey into its mouth and likely hunted at the bottom of the seafloor. The 36-million-year-old fossil gives us new information on how whales evolved, showing, for example, that the marine animals likely lost their hind limbs more recently than was previously thought.

The fossil, which is described in a study published today in Current Biology, was first discovered in 2010 in Peru by paleontologist Mario Urbina of the Museo de Historia Natural. It’s identified as the oldest known member of a group of whales called mysticetes, which includes modern baleen whales, according to the study. Today, these whales — like the blue whale or the humpback whale — don’t have teeth, but keratin fibers called baleen that filter out the ocean water to catch fish or plankton. The fossil unearthed in Peru was found to have teeth, and so the scientists called it Mystacodon selenensis, which basically means “toothed mysticete.”

02/01/2023

Whales are just the right size to eat their prey as efficiently as possible

Whales are big, but why aren’t they bigger? A new study says the key factor is how many calories they can take in.

Researchers came to this conclusion after using small boats to chase down 300 whales of various species around the world. They reached out with long poles to attach sensors to the creatures with suction cups, allowing them to record what the animals were doing as they dove for food.

01/05/2023

Species Spotlight: Orca
Diet: Orcas snack on an assortment of fish, squid, seals and other marine life. They eat approximately 3 percent to 4 percent of their body weight daily. Some orcas are pickier and favor specific types of prey; for example, northeastern Pacific orcas strongly prefer to eat the Chinook salmon, a fish often prized by fisherman.

12/14/2022

Southern Right Whale

-Because these were the "correct" whales to kill, the early whalers gave them the name. They are slow swimmers (easier to catch), frequently found close to shore, and float when dead. They also have vast amounts of oil, blubber, and baleen or whalebone.
Right whales lack the streamlined shape of other whales and have a broad, bulbous head. Vast callosities on the skull are home to a large population of parasitic worms, whale lice, and barnacles.

09/27/2022

The Elusive Beaked Whale
Their far descending dives (Cuvier’s whale has been tracked at nearly 10,000 ft below the sea surface) and infrequent breaches have long made the toothed whale family Ziphiidae difficult to study except by each species’ unique vocalizations.

08/20/2022

Why humpback whales protect other species

A group of killer whales is on the hunt. They work together to submerge and drown a whale calf. But then more whales appear.

The newly arrived humpbacks bellow a trumpet-like call, and wield their five-metre-long pectoral flippers like swords against the prowling killer whales.

The killer whales are driven away from the calf, and the humpbacks also move away. As they do, the killer whales turn back and descend on the calf once more. In response, the humpbacks swing around and return to the calf’s defence.

The humpbacks position themselves close to the calf, between it and the killer whales, potentially putting themselves in harm’s way.

This process continues and repeats for many hours, but it is not a calf of their own species – it is a grey whale calf.

08/07/2022

Short Finned Pilot whale.

08/02/2022

Bowhead Whale: Balaena Mysticetus

The bowhead whale got its name from its high, arched jaw that resembles a bow. They're cold-water whales that live in the Arctic. The bowhead's blubber layer is over 1 1/2 feet thick, which provides insulation against the cold waters. Bowheads are still hunted by native whalers in the Arctic.

Whale Species

07/27/2023

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05/09/2023

03/28/2023

02/20/2023

02/01/2023

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12/14/2022

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