SPERM WHALE: Exploring the Abyss

The largest of all Toothed Whales, Sperm Whale can dive longer, faster, and deeper than any other Mammal. Known as nature’s submarine, Sperm Whale is well equipped to hunt in the ocean abyss for Giant Squid. Swimming in total darkness, He uses his echolocation to locate Squid. His huge head, which makes up a third of his total body length, houses the wax-filled spermaceti organ that helps Him to dive deep. With steady clicks, Sperm Whale approaches his Prey, then surprises Giant Squid with a sonic scream, disabling Him.

Among Whales, Sperm Whale has a unique social life. Elder Mother Sperm Whale governs his Nursery Pod. In the tropics, Sperm Whale Mothers, Females, and Young Males live together. When Sperm Whale reaches maturity, He leaves and joins a Bachelor Pod. Together, He and his Friends roam from the Polar Seas, where Squid lives, to the Tropics where the Nursery Pods are. When He is older, Sperm Whale will navigate the oceans by Himself.

Diving vertically into the abyss, Sperm Whale searches for Giant Squid. Using echolocation, Sperm Whale clicks until He sense the outline of Squid in the murky depths. No one knows what exactly happens in the murky depths; only that Sperm Whale is usually victorious. Like this extraordinary Whale, you can explore the Abyss. Just remember to surface from time to time.

Sperm Whale’s Teachings Also Include:
“There is more character in the Sperm Whale's head. As you behold it, you involuntarily yield the immense superiority to him, in point of pervading dignity. In the present instance, too, this dignity is heightened by the pepper and salt colour of his head at the summit, giving token of advanced age and large experience.” – Copyright: “Moby Dick”, Herman Melville

Sperm Whale’s Wisdom Includes:
Being Comfortable with Your Own Self
Being Comfortable with Your Own Sex
Diver of the Deeps
Lord of the Seas

Conservation Note: Sperm Whales are endangered, and are protected by international treaties. Because of extensive hunting, numbers of Sperm Whale Males are seriously low.

For reading on the teachings of Moby Dick, the most famous sperm whale of all: Moby Dick (opens in new window)

BALEEN WHALE FAMILY: Travel the World

Southern Right Whale

The largest Animals that have ever lived on earth, Baleen Whales depend on tiny organisms (Krill) for food. They strain the Krill (Norwegian for ‘whale food’) through bristly baleen plates in their mouths. Since Baleen Whales have no teeth, They swallow or gulp their food whole.

Each Baleen Whale has their own type of baleen and style of feeding. Bowhead Whale, who has the largest baleen, feeds yearlong in the Arctic. Meanwhile, Right Whale cruises with her mouth (which is full of finely fringed baleen plates) open. Swimming on his side, Gray Whale stirs up sediment in the shallow waters with his head. Using his tongue, Gray Whale pumps the sediment into his mouth, strains out the dirt, and eats his prey.

“Songs of the Whales” made Baleen Whales famous in the 1970s. Unlike Toothed Whales, who communicate with clicks, Baleen Whales use vocal sounds. Forming a language, these complex songs, which can last for 15 minutes, travel long distances through the ocean depths. Blue Whale uses the lowest sound on the bass register. Fin Whale also emits bass-frequency grunts, but not as low as Blue Whale. Among the Whales, Humpback Whale sings his famous songs during mating season.

Besides their songs, Baleen Whales are also known for their long migrations. Many spend summers in the food-rich polar waters, and move to warmer waters in the winter for breeding. Baleen Whales in the Southern Hemisphere migrate from the Antarctic to New Caledonia. Meanwhile, in the Northern Hemisphere, They go from Greenland to the West Indies. As They go on their epic migrations, Baleen Whales live on the energy stored in their bodies. Although Many Baleen Whales are not sociable, as a rule, They will travel in small groups to their winter and summer grounds.

Baleen Whales are great travelers. On their annual migrations, Some Whales cover a distance almost equal to half the earth’s circumference. Long journeys do not seem to faze Them. “Come see the world,” the Baleen Whales call to you.

Families of Baleen Whales (Mysticeti):

Rorquals (Blue, Fin, Humpback, Minke, and Sei)

Right Whale

Pigmy Right Whale

Gray Whale

Bowhead Whale

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Note: Baleens are thin, long, triangular plates of keratin (same material that human hair and nails are made from). These plates grow down from the Whale’s gums, covering the upper jaw.

Conservation Note: Baleen Whales are seriously endangered, and some species may not recover. They are protected by international treaties. Moreover, many countries have restrictions on whale watching to keep the whales safe during breeding seasons.

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BELUGA WHALE: Friends You Can Trust

Known as “Ghost Whale”, Beluga is the only whale that is all white. Because of her pale color, Russians named Her, Belulcha, which means “white one”. Like Manatee, Beluga was once thought to be a mermaid. Today, She is a major character in children’s stories.

Like her Mother, Beluga returns to the same river estuary every year. Her Mother first took Her to their “home” when She was a Calf. However, when the ice freezes over her estuary, Beluga will leave her home for warmer coastal waters. But come the springtime, She returns with her Calf to feed in the nourishing Polar waters of their estuary.

Unlike other Whales, Beluga has a flexible neck, and can move her head from side to side. Because of her unique ability, She does a visual sweep of the ocean floor while swimming. Her famed flexibility extends to other parts of her body as well. Beluga’s bendable flippers help Her get out of tight squeezes. Her moveable face makes Her one of the most expressive whales. In fact, She often forms her mouth into an “O”. When She is unhappy, Beluga will squirt the offender with streams of water from her puckered mouth.

Since She travels in pods of a hundred or more Whales, having a social life is important to Beluga. Called “Sea Canary”, She chirps, peeps, and squeaks to her Pod Mates. In her Pod, Beluga talks with Them all, using trills, chirps, and clucks. Sometimes, She sounds like a rusty gate or an out-of-tune string band, conversing with other Belugas.

Life in Beluga’s Pod is loud and noisy. The only time, She and her Friends are silent is when Orca (Killer Whale) is near. Then silence rules the ocean waters. Beluga shows that, with friends you can trust, you will always know when danger is near.

Moby Dick: Whale Avenger

"Moby Dick p510 illustration" by A. Burnham Shute - Moby-Dick edition - C. H. Simonds Co. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Moby_Dick_p510_illustration.jpg#/media/File:Moby_Dick_p510_illustration.jpg

I was watching the movie "Moby Dick" starring Gregory Peck the other day. I was rooting for the whale. I kept thinking, "This whale is mad as Hell, and he's not taking it anymore. Enough with the whale killing. This White Whale is the Whale Avenger for all the murdered whales."

One of the most famous of Whales is Moby Dick of Herman Melville’s novel, “Moby Dick”. Besides being white, Moby Dick has a wrinkled forehead, large hump on his back, and a curved jaw with crooked teeth. This giant white Sperm Whale took revenge on the whalers, who hunted him.

Harpoons did not seem to hurt him. One of Moby Dick’s favorite tricks was to swim away as if he was fleeing, then suddenly turn on the whalers, and smash their boats. Moby Dick was based on an actual white Sperm Whale who lived near the island of Mocha off of Chile. Mocha Dick, the White Whale of the Pacific, had become known in the 1800s for his violent attacks on whaling ships. When He was finally killed in the 1850s, sixty year old Mocha Dick was toothless, blind, and had eighteen harpoons sticking out of his body.

Moby Dick’s Teachings Also Include: “Nor was it his unwonted magnitude, nor his remarkable hue, nor yet his deformed lower jaw, that so much invested the whale with natural terror, as that unexampled, intelligent malignity which, according to specific accounts, he had over and over again evinced in his assaults. More than all, his treacherous retreats struck more of dismay than perhaps aught else. ” – Copyright: “Moby Dick”, Herman Melville  

Moby Dick’s Wisdom Includes:
 Lessons of Aggression and Obsession
Taking the Initiative
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For the teachings of Sperm Whales: Sperm Whale (opens in new window)

Whale Family: Nexus of Heaven and Earth

WHALE
Nexus of Heaven and Earth

For thousands of years, Whales have captured people’s imagination. People have regarded Whales to be gods, guardians, sea monsters, sources of food, and living islands. From classical Greek mythology to modern day movies, the Family of Whales (Cetaceans) has played a major part in many stories. According to Christians, God sent a Whale to swallow Jonah. Narwhal and his long tusk became the basis of Unicorn legends of the Middle Ages. In the Amazon River basin, people speak of River Dolphins disguising Themselves as men to woo the local girls. Meanwhile, Herman Melville’s novel, “Moby Dick” describes Sperm Whale as the Lord of Demons and Chaos. In the modern era, people see Whales as friends like Flipper (a Bottlenose Dolphin) of movie and TV fame. And, other people regard Cetaceans as mystical representatives from earth’s ancient days or from distant star systems.

Alien yet familiar Animals, Whales are Mammals who have totally adapted to the ocean, which is a hostile environment to air breathers. Scientists believe that the ancestor for Whales was a fish-eating land Mammal, related to modern hoofed Mammals. Further DNA tests show that Whales are actually related to Cows and Camels.

Although people regard Whales as one generic creature, They are divided into two groups, that are not closely related to each other – Baleen (Mysticeti) and Toothed (Odontoceti). To grasp the difference between the two Groups of Living Whales, think of how closely Cows are related to Camels. Baleen Whales, the largest animals on earth, filter food through their baleen. Famous for their singing, Baleen Whales’ songs have been popular as music recordings. More social than Baleen Whales, Toothed Whales live in larger groups called Pods. Unlike Baleen Whales, Toothed Whales use echolocation to find their prey.

Individual Whale Species differ greatly from each other as well. Among Baleen Whales, Right Whales resemble big boats, while Fin Whales are shaped like cruisers. With their square heads, Sperm Whales (who are Toothed Whales) look like submarines. Baleen Whales have two blowholes, while Toothed Whales only have one. Right Whales produce a distinctive V Shape blow, and Sperm Whales’ blows slant forward and to the left.

Living in the ocean, which is both fatal and vital to people, Whales have become intermediaries between people and other worlds. With their forceful leaps to the sky and dives to the ocean’s depths, Whales become the nexus between heaven and earth. If you want to go between worlds, let Whales be your guide.

Whales’ Teachings Also Include:

"Oh, the rare old Whale, mid storm and gale
In his ocean home will be
A giant in might, where might is right,
And King of the boundless sea." --WHALE SONG.

“With a frigate's anchors for my bridle-bitts and fasces of harpoons for spurs, would I could mount that whale and leap the topmost skies, to see whether the fabled heavens with all their countless tents really lie encamped beyond my mortal sight!” – Copyright: “Moby Dick”, Herman Melville

Whales’ Wisdom Includes:
Holding a Vastness of Knowing, Feeling, and Remembering
Realizing the Magnificence in All Things
Nomads of the Sea
Being at Home in Hostile Environments
Dreaming Large
Rulers of the Boundless Seas
Providing Wonder in an Ordinary World
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Copyright: Virginia Carper, Animal Teachers, 2008

Blue Whale: The Colors of Life

Much bigger than the dinosaurs, Blue Whale is the largest animal ever to live on the earth. Besides her size, Blue Whale is noted for other exceptional qualities as well. Swimming alone in the ocean, She has to communicate long distances underwater to other Blue Whales, so She makes the loudest sound of any living creature. Her bass moans are also the lowest sounds in the ocean. Possessing the tallest and strongest blow of any Whale, Blue Whale’s water sprout is also noticeably slender and upright.

However, Blue Whale is full of contradictions. The largest animal on earth feeds on Krill, one of the smallest animals in the sea. (Instead of teeth, She has a row of plates in her mouth called baleen, which functions as a food-collecting device.) For such a fast moving Whale, Blue Whale has a distinctively small and stubby dorsal fin.

Although Blue Whale is called ‘blue’ because of her skin color, her mottled, splotchy body actually reflects more colors than any other Whale. When the sun sets below the horizon and darkness falls on the ocean, Blue Whale’s body mirrors the colors of the sky and sea. The hues of her skin turns from blue to yellow and orange, then red, lavender, dark grey, and finally to black. No long just ‘blue’, Blue Whale is now all the shades of the rainbow.

Blue Whale mirrors the colors of life. Her body shows the greens and blues of the sea and the yellow and oranges of the sun. If this seriously endangered Whale should pass from this earth, we will be the poorer for it. The sky, sea, and even the land would miss Blue Whale and her colors of the rainbow.


Blue Whale’s Wisdom Also Includes:
Breaking Records
Embracing Contradictions
Importance of Observing
Reflecting the Rainbow

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Blue Whale’s Statistics:
Length: 110 feet 2 inches (33.5 meters)
Weight: 209 tons (190 tonnes)
Sound: 188 decibels

Conservation note: Blue Whales are seriously endangered and may not recover. They are protected internationally by whaling treaties.

Copyright: Virginia Carper, Animal Teachers, 2008
For Animal Totem Readings and meanings, contact me at animalteachers @ gmail.com