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Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Australian Broadcasting Corporation: News in Science: Where Do Whale Sharks Go?

For Students 9th - 10th
From ABC News in Science, Kathy Graham's article examines research connected to the tracking of whale sharks as they journey throughout the eastern Indian Ocean.
Interactive
Quia

Quia: Whales Elementary Games for Learning Terms

For Students 3rd - 8th
Match the squares and learn key whale terms. Fun with immediate feedback.
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Canadian Museum of Nature

Canadian Museum of Nature: Fin Whale

For Students 9th - 10th
Gives some basic information about the fin whale, which can be seen in eastern Canada's waters during its summer migration. There is concern about the fin whale population, as it has not regained its robustness since bans on whale...
Article
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: Journey North: Meet the Whale Expert: Anne Smrcina

For Students 9th - 10th
Meet the Whale Expert, Anne Smrcina! Learn about her exciting career working with humpback whales.
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Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: Arctic Studies Center: Killer Whales

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides a very brief overview of the orca or "killer whale."
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Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Baird's Beaked Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
Baird's beaked whale is the longest species of the Ziphiidae, which is a family of medium-sized whales. The name "beaked whale" comes from the way the long snout, or rostrum, tapers to a tip. Learn more about the Berardius bairdii, more...
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Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Common Minke Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
Common Minke Whales are the second-smallest baleen whales. They are identifiable by a narrow, pointy snout, and most seen in North American waters have a white stripe on the back of each flipper. Learn more about the Balaenoptera...
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Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Blainville's Beaked Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
Blainville's beaked whale is found worldwide in warm temperate to tropical waters. Small pods of 3-7 whales have been seen off Hawaii in waters 700 to 1,000 m deep, near much deeper water. Learn more about the Mesoplodon densirostris,...
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Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Pygmy Sperm Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
Pygmy sperm whales are usually seen in small groups of six or fewer individuals, but there are few documented sightings. They tend to stay in deep water, beyond the continental shelf, and not much is known about their behavior. Learn...
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Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Sowerby's Beaked Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
Most stranded Sowerby's beaked whales have been found on the coast of the British Isles, and the North Sea may be the center of the species' distribution. We know very little about this whale, including what it eats and details of its...
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Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Sperm Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
Sperm whales can dive deeper than 1.6 km and stay under for 90 minutes, although shorter, shallower dives are more usual. Learn more about the Physeter catodon (Physeter macrocephalus), more commonly known as a Sperm Whale, in this...
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Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: North Pacific Right Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
The right whales have been driven nearly to extinction as the species preferred by commercial whalers and have been hunted in spite of international bans. There are perhaps several hundred in the western Pacific, and perhaps only a...
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Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Pygmy Killer Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
Pygmy killer whales are among the least-known cetaceans. These black, white-lipped whales have rarely been kept in captivity: from time to time a few stranded animals have been kept for a few days. Learn more about the Feresa attenuata,...
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Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Gervais's Beaked Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
More than 50 Gervais's beaked whales have been found stranded along the coast of the United States. The holotype of this species - the individual that was identified as a separate species, and named - was found floating in the English...
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Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Hubbs's Beaked Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
Hubbs's beaked whale is another little-known species. Beaks of squids and otoliths (inner ear particles) of some deepwater fish, some of which could have come from the stomachs of the squids, were found in the stomachs of a few stranded...
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Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Fin Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
The largest recorded fin whale was a female about 27 m long, weighing more than 100 tons. Fin whales are sleek, fast swimmers. Learn more about the Balaenoptera physalus, more commonly known as a Fin Whale, in this easy-to-read species...
Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Blue Whale for Kids: Learn About the Giant Mammal.

For Students 1st - 9th
What are blue whales? Kids find out about the largest mammal on earth that lives in the ocean.
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Science4Fun

Science4 Fun: Whale

For Students K - 1st
Learn about the appearance, diet, habitat, conservation, and other fun facts about the largest living animal.
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Canadian Museum of Nature

Canadian Museum of Nature: Blue Whale

For Students 9th - 10th
The blue whale is believed to be the largest animal that has ever existed on Earth, even larger than dinosaurs were. These gentle creatures are at risk and only about 10,000 remain today. Learn some interesting facts about them here.
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Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Blue Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
As far as we know, the blue whale is the largest animal ever to have existed on the planet. Weights up to 190,000 kg (as much as 30-40 African elephants) have been recorded. Learn more about the Balaenoptera musculus, more commonly known...
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Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Northern Right Whale Dolphin

For Students 4th - 8th
With no dorsal fin, a slender body shape that tapers steadily toward the tail, and small flippers and flukes, the northern right whale dolphin appears to be built for speed. It has been clocked at 34 km per hour and can dive as deep as...
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Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Ginkgo Toothed Beaked Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
Almost nothing is known of the ginkgo-toothed beaked whale. Nothing about its behavior or feeding habits has been reported, and its geographical distribution is estimated from a very small sample. Learn more about the Mesoplodon...
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Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Short Finned Pilot Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
The short-finned pilot whale is one of two species of the genus Globicephala living in North American waters, mostly in tropical to temperate waters of the continental shelf. "Globicephala" translates directly to the most prominent...
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Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: American Mammals: Long Finned Pilot Whale

For Students 4th - 8th
Long-finned pilot whales live in the cool waters of the North Atlantic continental shelf and slope. Pods move seasonally inshore or offshore following their prey, mainly squid and Atlantic mackerel. Learn more about the Globicephala...

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