Teacher Resources

Glossary

Plates in the upper jaw of some whales that strain out the small animals the whale eats.

Small shellfish that attach themselves to underwater objects and to whales.

A whale's nostrils on the top of its head.

The layers of fat on a whale's body.

The act of a whale leaping out of the water.

A baby whale.

The way whales use sound to "see" or find things under water.

Reduced to the point of being nearly extinct.

The two wing-shapes on the end of the whale's tail.

Small shrimp-like creatures which are eaten by baleen whales.

Repeated action in which a whale raises its tail high into the air and slaps it down on the water.

The journey from one place to another to feed or to have babies.

Another name by which the killer whale is known.

Tiny plants and animals floating on the surface of the sea.

The name for a group of whales that travel together.

A small toothed whale (often used interchangeably with dolphin).

The carving done on the bones and teeth of sea mammals.

The deep diving action of whales to escape danger.