text: whale whale is the common name for a widely distributed and diverse group of fully aquatic placental marine mammals . they are an informal grouping within the infraorder cetacea , usually excluding dolphins and porpoises . whales , dolphins and porpoises belong to the order cetartiodactyla with even - toed ungulates and their closest living relatives are the hippopotamuses , having diverged about 40 million years ago . the two parvorders of whales , baleen whales ( mysticeti ) and toothed whales ( odontoceti ) , are thought to have split apart around 34 million years ago . the whales comprise eight extant families : balaenopteridae ( the rorquals ) , balaenidae ( right whales ) , cetotheriidae ( the pygmy right whale ) , eschrichtiidae ( the gray whale ) , monodontidae ( belugas and narwhals ) , physeteridae ( the sperm whale ) , kogiidae ( the dwarf and pygmy sperm whale ) , and ( the beaked whales ) . whales are creatures of the open ocean ; they feed , mate , give birth , suckle and raise their young at sea . so extreme is their adaptation to life underwater that they are unable to survive on land . whales range in size from the 2 . 6 metres ( 8 . 5 ft ) and 135 kilograms ( 298 lb ) dwarf sperm whale to the 34 metres ( 112 ft ) and 190 metric tons ( 210 short tons ) blue whale , which is the largest creature that has ever lived . the sperm whale is the largest toothed predator on earth . several species exhibit sexual dimorphism , in that the females are larger than males . baleen whales have no teeth ; instead they have plates of baleen , a fringe - like structure used to expel water while retaining the krill and plankton which they feed on . they use their throat pleats to expand the mouth to take in huge gulps of water . balaenids have heads that can make up 40 % of their body mass to take in water . toothed whales , on the other hand , have conical teeth designed for catching fish or squid . baleen whales have a well developed sense of " smell " , whereas toothed whales have well - developed hearing − their hearing , that is adapted for both air and water , is so well developed that some can survive even if they are blind . some species , such as sperm whales , are well adapted for diving to great depths to catch squid and other favoured prey . whales have evolved from land - living mammals . as such they must breathe air regularly , though they can remain submerged for long periods . they have blowholes ( modified nostrils ) located on top of their heads , through which air is taken in and expelled in the form of vapour . they are warm - blooded , and have a layer of fat , or blubber , under the skin . with streamlined fusiform bodies and two limbs that are modified into flippers , whales can travel at up to 20 knots , though they are not as flexible or agile as seals . whales produce a great variety of vocalizations , notably the extended songs of the humpback whale . although whales are widespread , most species prefer the colder waters of the northern and southern hemispheres , and migrate to the equator to give birth . species such as humpbacks and blue whales are capable of travelling thousands of miles without feeding . males typically mate with multiple females every year , but females only mate every two to three years . calves are typically born in the spring and summer months and females bear all the responsibility for raising them . mothers of some species fast and nurse their young for a relatively long period of time . once relentlessly hunted for their products , whales are now protected by international law . the north atlantic right whales nearly became extinct in the twentieth century , with a population low of 450 , and the north pacific gray whale population is ranked critically endangered by the iucn . besides whaling , they also face threats from bycatch and marine pollution . the meat , blubber and baleen of whales have traditionally been used by indigenous peoples of the arctic . whales have been depicted in various cultures worldwide , notably by the inuit and the coastal peoples of vietnam and ghana , who sometimes hold whale funerals . whales occasionally feature in literature and film , as in the great white whale of herman melville 's moby dick . small whales , such as belugas , are sometimes kept in captivity and trained to perform tricks , but breeding success has been poor and the animals often die within a few months of capture . whale watching has become a form of tourism around the world . etymology and definitions the word " whale " comes from the old english , related to the high german wal . related forms are the old norse and the swedish / danish . the obsolete " " has a similar derivation , indicating a time when whales were thought to be fish . other archaic english forms include wal , , , , , , etc . the term " whale " is sometimes used interchangeably with dolphins and porpoises , acting as a synonym for cetacea . six species of dolphins have the word " whale " in their name , collectively known as blackfish : the killer whale , the melon - headed whale , the pygmy killer whale , the false killer whale , and the two species of pilot whales , all of which are classified under the family delphinidae ( oceanic dolphins ) . each species has a different reason for it , for example , the killer whale was named " ballena " by spanish sailors , which translates directly to " whale assassin " or " whale killer " , but is more often translated to " killer whale " . taxonomy and evolution the whales are part of the largely terrestrial mammalian clade laurasiatheria . whales do not form a clade or order ; the infraorder cetacea includes dolphins and porpoises , which are not considered whales . whales in green a c w whippomorpha cetaceans are divided into two parvorders : the largest parvorder , mysticeti ( baleen whales ) , is characterized by the presence of baleen , a sieve - like structure in the upper jaw made of keratin , which it uses to filter plankton , among others , from the water ; odontocetes ( toothed whales ) are characterized by bearing sharp teeth for hunting , as opposed to their counterparts ' baleen . cetaceans and artiodactyls now are classified under the order cetartiodactyla , often still referred to as artiodactyla , which includes both whales and hippopotamuses . the hippopotamus and pygmy hippopotamus are the whale 's closest terrestrial living relatives . mysticetes mysticetes are also known as baleen whales . they have a pair of blowholes side - by - side and lack teeth , which renders them incapable of catching larger prey ; they instead have baleen plates which is a sieve - like structure in the upper jaw made of keratin , which it uses to filter plankton and other food from the water ; this forces them to follow krill or plankton migrations . some whales , such as the humpback , reside in the polar regions where they feed on a reliable source of schooling fish and krill . these animals rely on their well - developed flippers and tail fin to propel themselves through the water ; they swim by moving their fore - flippers and tail fin up and down . whale ribs loosely articulate with their thoracic vertebrae at the proximal end , but do not form a rigid rib cage . this adaptation allows their chest to compress during deep dives as the pressure increases with depth . mysticetes consist of four families : rorquals ( ) , cetotheriids , right whales ( ) , and gray whales ( ) . the main difference between each family of mysticete is in their feeding adaptations and subsequent behaviour . balaenopterids are the rorquals . these animals , along with the cetotheriids , rely on their throat pleats to gulp large amounts of water while feeding . the throat pleats extend from the mouth to the navel and allow the mouth to expand to a large volume for more efficient capture of the small animals they feed on . balaenopterids consist of two genera and eight species . balaenids are the right whales . these animals have very large heads , which can make up as much as 40 % of their body mass , and much of the head is the mouth . this allows them to take in large amounts of water into their mouths , letting them feed more effectively . have one living member : the gray whale . they are bottom feeders , mainly eating crustaceans and benthic invertebrates . they feed by turning on their sides and taking in water mixed with sediment , which is then expelled through the baleen , leaving their prey trapped inside . this is an efficient method of hunting , in which the whale has no major competitors . odontocetes odontocetes are known as toothed whales ; they have teeth and only one blowhole . they rely on their well - developed sonar to find their way in the water . toothed whales send out ultrasonic clicks using the melon . sound waves travel through the water . upon striking an object in the water , the sound waves bounce back at the whale . these vibrations are received through fatty tissues in the jaw , which is then rerouted into the ear - bone and into the brain where the vibrations are interpreted . all toothed whales are opportunistic , meaning they will eat anything they can fit in their throat because they are unable to chew . these animals rely on their well - developed flippers and tail fin to propel themselves through the water ; they swim by moving their fore - flippers and tail fin up and down . whale ribs loosely articulate with their thoracic vertebrae at the proximal end , but they do not form a rigid rib cage . this adaptation allows the chest to compress during deep dives as opposed to resisting the force of water pressure . excluding dolphins and porpoises , odontocetes consist of four families : belugas and narwhals ( monodontids ) , sperm whales ( ) , dwarf and pygmy sperm whales ( ) , and beaked whales ( ziphiids ) . there are six species , sometimes referred to as " blackfish " , that are dolphins commonly misconceived as whales : the killer whale , the melon - headed whale , the pygmy killer whale , the false killer whale , and the two species of pilot whales , all of which are classified under the family delphinidae ( oceanic dolphins ) . the differences between families of odontocetes include size , feeding adaptations and distribution . consist of two species : the beluga and the narwhal . they both reside in the frigid arctic and both have large amounts of blubber . belugas , being white , hunt in large pods near the surface and around pack ice , their coloration acting as camouflage . narwhals , being black , hunt in large pods in the aphotic zone , but their underbelly still remains white to remain camouflaged when something is looking directly up or down at them . they have no dorsal fin to prevent collision with pack ice . and consist of sperm whales . sperm whales consist the largest and smallest odontocetes , and spend a large portion of their life hunting squid . p. macrocephalus spends most of its life in search of squid in the depths ; these animals do not require any degree of light at all , in fact , blind sperm whales have been caught in perfect health . the behaviour of remains largely unknown , but , due to their small lungs , they are thought to hunt in the photic zone . consist of 22 species of beaked whale . these vary from size , to coloration , to distribution , but they all share a similar hunting style . they use a suction technique , aided by a pair of grooves on the underside of their head , not unlike the throat pleats on the rorquals , to feed . evolution whales are descendants of land - dwelling mammals of the artiodactyl order ( even - toed ungulates ) . they are related to the indohyus , an extinct chevrotain - like ungulate , from which they split approximately 48 million years ago . primitive cetaceans , or archaeocetes , first took to the sea approximately 49 million years ago and became fully aquatic 5 – 10 million years later . what defines an is the presence of anatomical features exclusive to cetaceans , alongside other primitive features not found in modern cetaceans , such as visible legs or asymmetrical teeth . their features became adapted for living in the marine environment . major anatomical changes included their hearing set - up that channeled vibrations from the jaw to the ( ambulocetus 49 mya ) , a streamlined body and the growth of flukes on the tail ( 43 mya ) , the migration of the nostrils toward the top of the cranium ( blowholes ) , and the modification of the forelimbs into flippers ( basilosaurus 35 mya ) , and the shrinking and eventual disappearance of the hind limbs ( the first odontocetes and mysticetes 34 mya ) . today , the closest living relatives of cetaceans are the hippopotamuses ; these share a semi - aquatic ancestor that branched off from other artiodactyls some 60 mya . around 40 mya , a common ancestor between the two branched off into and anthracotheres ; nearly all anthracotheres became extinct at the end of the pleistocene 2 . 5 mya , eventually leaving only one surviving lineage - the hippo . whales split into two separate parvorders around 34 mya - the baleen whales ( mysticetes ) and the toothed whales ( odontocetes ) . biology anatomy whales have torpedo shaped bodies with non - flexible necks , limbs modified into flippers , non - existent external ear flaps , a large tail fin , and flat heads ( with the exception of monodontids and ziphiids ) . whale skulls have small eye orbits , long snouts ( with the exception of monodontids and ziphiids ) and eyes placed on the sides of its head . whales range in size from the 2 . 6 - metre ( 8 . 5 ft ) and 135 - kilogram ( 298 lb ) dwarf sperm whale to the 34 - metre ( 112 ft ) and 190 - metric - ton ( 210 - short - ton ) blue whale . overall , they tend to dwarf other ; the blue whale is the largest creature on earth . several species have female - biased sexual dimorphism , with the females being larger than the males . one exception is with the sperm whale , which has males larger than the females . odontocetes , such as the sperm whale , possess teeth with cementum cells overlying dentine cells . unlike human teeth , which are composed mostly of enamel on the portion of the tooth outside of the gum , whale teeth have cementum outside the gum . only in larger whales , where the cementum is worn away on the tip of the tooth , does enamel show . mysticetes have large whalebone , as opposed to teeth , made of keratin . mysticetes have two blowholes , whereas odontocetes contain only one . breathing involves expelling stale air from the blowhole , forming an upward , steamy spout , followed by inhaling fresh air into the lungs ; a humpback whale 's lungs can hold about 5 , 000 litres of air . spout shapes differ among species , which facilitates identification . all whales have a thick layer of blubber . in species that live near the poles , the blubber can be as thick as 11 inches . this blubber can help with buoyancy ( which is helpful for a 100 - ton whale ) , protection to some extent as predators would have a hard time getting through a thick layer of fat , and energy for fasting when migrating to the equator ; the primary usage for blubber is insulation from the harsh climate . it can constitute as much as 50 % of a whales body weight . calves are born with only a thin layer of blubber , but some species compensate for this with thick lanugos . whales have a two- to three - chambered stomach that is similar in structure to terrestrial carnivores . mysticetes contain a proventriculus as an extension of the oesophagus ; this contains stones that grind up food . they also have fundic and pyloric chambers . locomotion whales have two flippers on the front , and a tail fin . these flippers contain four digits . although whales do not possess fully developed hind limbs , some , such as the sperm whale and bowhead whale , possess discrete rudimentary appendages , which may contain feet and digits . whales are fast swimmers in comparison to seals , which typically cruise at 5 – 15 kn , or 9 – 28 kilometres per hour ( 5 . 6 – 17 . 4 mph ) ; the fin whale , in comparison , can travel at speeds up to 47 kilometres per hour ( 29 mph ) and the sperm whale can reach speeds of 35 kilometres per hour ( 22 mph ) . the fusing of the neck vertebrae , while increasing stability when swimming at high speeds , decreases flexibility ; whales are unable to turn their heads . when swimming , whales rely on their tail fin propel them through the water . flipper movement is continuous . whales swim by moving their tail fin and lower body up and down , propelling themselves through vertical movement , while their flippers are mainly used for steering . some species log out of the water , which may allow then to travel faster . their skeletal anatomy allows them to be fast swimmers . most species have a dorsal fin . whales are adapted for diving to great depths . in addition to their streamlined bodies , they can slow their heart rate to conserve oxygen ; blood is rerouted from tissue tolerant of water pressure to the heart and brain among other organs ; haemoglobin and myoglobin store oxygen in body tissue ; and they have twice the concentration of myoglobin than haemoglobin . before going on long dives , many whales exhibit a behaviour known as sounding ; they stay close to the surface for a series of short , shallow dives while building their oxygen reserves , and then make a sounding dive . senses the whale ear has specific adaptations to the marine environment . in humans , the middle ear works as an impedance equalizer between the outside air 's low impedance and the cochlear fluid 's high impedance . in whales , and other marine mammals , there is no great difference between the outer and inner environments . instead of sound passing through the outer ear to the middle ear , whales receive sound through the throat , from which it passes through a low - impedance fat - filled cavity to the inner ear . the whale ear is acoustically isolated from the skull by air - filled sinus pockets , which allow for greater directional hearing underwater . odontocetes send out high frequency clicks from an organ known as a melon . this melon consists of fat , and the skull of any such creature containing a melon will have a large depression . the melon size varies between species , the bigger the more dependent they are of it . a beaked whale for example has a small bulge sitting on top of its skull , whereas a sperm whale 's head is filled up mainly with the melon . the whale eye is relatively small for its size , yet they do retain a good degree of eyesight . as well as this , the eyes of a whale are placed on the sides of its head , so their vision consists of two fields , rather than a binocular view like humans have . when belugas surface , their lens and cornea correct the nearsightedness that results from the refraction of light ; they contain both rod and cone cells , meaning they can see in both dim and bright light , but they have far more rod cells than they do cone cells . whales do , however , lack short wavelength sensitive visual pigments in their cone cells indicating a more limited capacity for colour vision than most mammals . most whales have slightly flattened eyeballs , enlarged pupils ( which shrink as they surface to prevent damage ) , slightly flattened corneas and a tapetum lucidum ; these adaptations allow for large amounts of light to pass through the eye and , therefore , a very clear image of the surrounding area . in water , a whale can see around 10 . 7 metres ( 35 ft ) ahead of itself , but , of course , they have a smaller range above water . they also have glands on the eyelids and outer corneal layer that act as protection for the cornea . the olfactory lobes are absent in toothed whales , suggesting that they have no sense of smell . some whales , such as the bowhead whale , possess a vomeronasal organ , which does mean that they can " sniff out " krill . whales are not thought to have a good sense of taste , as their taste buds are atrophied or missing altogether . however , some toothed whales have preferences between different kinds of fish , indicating some sort of attachment to taste . the presence of the jacobson 's organ indicates that whales can smell food once inside their mouth , which might be similar to the sensation of taste . communication whale vocalization is likely to serve several purposes . some species , such as the humpback whale , communicate using melodic sounds , known as whale song . these sounds may be extremely loud , depending on the species . humpback whales only have been heard making clicks , while toothed whales use sonar that may generate up to 20 , 000 watts of sound ( + 73 or + 43 ) and be heard for many miles . captive whales have occasionally been known to mimic human speech . scientists have suggested this indicates a strong desire on behalf of the whales to communicate with humans , as whales have a very different vocal mechanism , so imitate human speech likely takes considerable effort . whales emit two distinct kinds of acoustic signals , which are called whistles and clicks : clicks are quick broadband burst pulses , used for sonar , although some lower - frequency broadband vocalizations may serve a non - purpose such as communication ; for example , the pulsed calls of belugas . pulses in a click train are emitted at intervals of ~ 35 – 50 milliseconds , and in general these inter - click intervals are slightly greater than the round - trip time of sound to the target . whistles are narrow - band frequency modulated ( fm ) signals , used for communicative purposes , such as contact calls . intelligence whales are known to teach , learn , cooperate , scheme , and grieve . the neocortex of many species of whale is home to elongated spindle neurons that , prior to 2007 , were known only in hominids . in humans , these cells are involved in social conduct , emotions , judgement , and theory of mind . whale spindle neurons are found in areas of the brain that are homologous to where they are found in humans , suggesting that they perform a similar function . brain size was previously considered a major indicator of the intelligence of an animal . since most of the brain is used for maintaining bodily functions , greater ratios of brain to body mass may increase the amount of brain mass available for more complex cognitive tasks . analysis indicates that mammalian brain size scales at approximately the ⅔ or ¾ exponent of the body mass . comparison of a particular animal 's brain size with the expected brain size based on such allometric analysis provides an quotient that can be used as another indication of animal intelligence . sperm whales have the largest brain mass of any animal on earth , averaging 8 , 000 cubic centimetres ( 490 in3 ) and 7 . 8 kilograms ( 17 lb ) in mature males , in comparison to the average human brain which averages 1 , 450 cubic centimetres ( 88 in3 ) in mature males . the brain to body mass ratio in some odontocetes , such as belugas and narwhals , is second only to humans . small whales are known to engage in complex play behaviour , which includes such things as producing stable underwater toroidal air - core vortex rings or " bubble rings " . there are two main methods of bubble ring production : rapid puffing of a burst of air into the water and allowing it to rise to the surface , forming a ring , or swimming repeatedly in a circle and then stopping to inject air into the helical vortex currents thus formed . they also appear to enjoy biting the vortex - rings , so that they burst into many separate bubbles and then rise quickly to the surface . some believe this is a means of communication . whales are also known to produce bubble - nets for the purpose of foraging . larger whales are also thought , to some degree , to engage in play . the southern right whale , for example , elevates their tail fluke above the water , remaining in the same position for a considerable amount of time . this is known as " sailing " . it appears to be a form of play and is most commonly seen off the coast of argentina and south africa . humpback whales , among others , are also known to display this behaviour . life cycle whales are fully aquatic creatures , which means that birth and courtship behaviours are very different from terrestrial and semi - aquatic creatures . since they are unable to go onto land to calve , they deliver the baby with the fetus positioned for tail - first delivery . this prevents the baby from drowning either upon or during delivery . to feed the new - born , whales , being aquatic , must squirt the milk into the mouth of the calf . being mammals , they , of course , have mammary glands used for nursing calves ; they are weaned off at about 11 months of age . this milk contains high amounts of fat which is meant to hasten the development of blubber ; it contains so much fat that it has the consistency of toothpaste . females deliver a single calf with gestation lasting about a year , dependency until one to two years , and maturity around seven to ten years , all varying between the species . this mode of reproduction produces few offspring , but increases the survival probability of each one . females , referred to as " cows " , carry the responsibility of childcare as males , referred to as " bulls " , play no part in raising calves . most mysticetes reside at the poles . so , to prevent the unborn calf from dying of frostbite , they migrate to calving / mating grounds . they will then stay there for a matter of months until the calf has developed enough blubber to survive the bitter temperatures of the poles . until then , the calves will feed on the mother 's fatty milk . with the exception of the humpback whale , it is largely unknown when whales migrate . most will travel from the arctic or antarctic into the tropics to mate , calve , and raise during the winter and spring ; they will migrate back to the poles in the warmer summer months so the calf can continue growing while the mother can continue eating , as they fast in the breeding grounds . one exception to this is the southern right whale , which migrates to patagonia and western new zealand to calve ; both are well out of the tropic zone . sleep unlike most animals , whales are conscious breathers . all mammals sleep , but whales cannot afford to become unconscious for long because they may drown . while knowledge of sleep in wild cetaceans is limited , toothed cetaceans in captivity have been recorded to sleep with one side of their brain at a time , so that they may swim , breathe consciously , and avoid both predators and social contact during their period of rest . a 2008 study found that sperm whales sleep in vertical postures just under the surface in passive shallow ' drift - dives ' , generally during the day , during which whales do not respond to passing vessels unless they are in contact , leading to the suggestion that whales possibly sleep during such dives . ecology foraging and predation all whales are carnivorous and predatory . odontocetes , as a whole , mostly feed on fish and cephalopods , and then followed by crustaceans and bivalves . all species are generalist and opportunistic feeders . mysticetes , as a whole , mostly feed on krill and plankton , followed by crustaceans and other invertebrates . a few are specialists . examples include the blue whale , which eats almost exclusively krill , the minke whale , which eats mainly schooling fish , the sperm whale , which specialize on squid , and the gray whale which feed on bottom - dwelling invertebrates . the elaborate baleen " teeth " of filter - feeding species , mysticetes , allow them to remove water before they swallow their planktonic food by using the teeth as a sieve . usually whales hunt solitarily , but they do sometimes hunt cooperatively in small groups . the former behaviour is typical when hunting non - schooling fish , slow - moving or immobile invertebrates or endothermic prey . when large amounts of prey are available , whales such as certain mysticetes hunt cooperatively in small groups . some cetaceans may forage with other kinds of animals , such as other species of whales or certain species of pinnipeds . large whales , such as mysticetes , are not usually subject to predation , but smaller whales , such as monodontids or ziphiids , are . these species are preyed on by the killer whale or orca . to subdue and kill whales , orcas continuously ram them with their heads ; this can sometimes kill bowhead whales , or severely injure them . other times they corral the narwhals or belugas before striking . they are typically hunted by groups of 10 or fewer orcas , but they are seldom attacked by an individual . calves are more commonly taken by orcas , but adults can be targeted as well . these small whales are also targeted by terrestrial and predators . the polar bear is well adapted for hunting arctic whales and calves . bears are known to use sit - and - wait tactics as well as active stalking and pursuit of prey on ice or water . whales lessen the chance of predation by gathering in groups . this however means less room around the breathing hole as the ice slowly closes the gap . when out at sea , whales dive out of the reach of surface - hunting orcas . polar bear attacks on belugas and narwhals are usually successful in winter , but rarely inflict any damage in summer . whale pump a 2010 study considered whales to be a positive influence to the productivity of ocean fisheries , in what has been termed a " whale pump . " whales carry nutrients such as nitrogen from the depths back to the surface . this functions as an upward biological pump , reversing an earlier presumption that whales accelerate the loss of nutrients to the bottom . this nitrogen input in the gulf of maine is " more than the input of all rivers combined " emptying into the gulf , some 23 , 000 metric tons ( 25 , 000 short tons ) each year . whales defecate at the ocean 's surface ; their excrement is important for fisheries because it is rich in iron and nitrogen . the whale faeces are liquid and instead of sinking , they stay at the surface where phytoplankton feed off it . whale fall upon death , whale carcasses fall to the deep ocean and provide a substantial habitat for marine life . evidence of whale falls in present - day and fossil records shows that deep sea whale falls support a rich assemblage of creatures , with a global diversity of 407 species , comparable to other neritic biodiversity hotspots , such as cold seeps and hydrothermal vents . deterioration of whale carcasses happens though a series of three stages . initially , moving organisms such as sharks and hagfish , scavenge the soft tissues at a rapid rate over a period of months , and as long as two years . this is followed by the colonization of bones and surrounding sediments ( which contain organic matter ) by enrichment opportunists , such as crustaceans and polychaetes , throughout a period of years . finally , bacteria reduce the bones releasing hydrogen sulphide enabling the growth of chemoautotrophic organisms , which in turn , support other organisms such as mussels , clams , limpets , and sea snails . this stage may last for decades and supports a rich assemblage of species , averaging 185 species per site . interaction with humans whaling whaling by humans has existed since the stone age . ancient whalers used harpoons to spear the bigger animals from boats out at sea . people from norway started hunting whales around 2000 b.c. , and people from japan began hunting whales in the pacific at least as early . whales are typically hunted for their meat and blubber by aboriginal groups ; they used baleen for baskets or roofing , and made tools and masks out of bones . the inuit hunted whales in the arctic ocean . the basques started whaling as early as the 11th century , sailing as far as newfoundland in the 16th century in search of right whales . 18th and 19th century whalers hunted down whales mainly for their oil , which was used as lamp fuel and a lubricant , baleen or whalebone , which was used for items such as corsets and skirt hoops , and ambergris , which was used as a fixative for perfumes . the most successful whaling nations at this time were holland , japan , and the united states . commercial whaling was historically important as an industry well throughout the 17th , 18th and 19th centuries . whaling was at that time a sizeable european industry with ships from britain , france , spain , denmark , the netherlands and germany , sometimes collaborating to hunt whales in the arctic , sometimes in competition leading even to war . by the early 1790s , whalers , namely the americans and australians , mainly focused efforts in the south pacific where they mainly hunted sperm whales and right whales , with catches of up to 39 , 000 right whales by americans alone . by 1853 , u.s. profits turned to us $ 11 , 000 , 000 ( uk £ ) , equivalent to us $ 348 , 000 , 000 ( uk £ ) today , the most profitable year for the american whaling industry . commonly exploited species included north atlantic right whales , sperm whales , which were mainly hunted by americans , bowhead whales , which were mainly hunted by the dutch , common minke whales , blue whales , and gray whales . the scale of whale harvesting decreased substantially after 1982 when the international whaling commission ( iwc ) placed a moratorium which set a catch limit for each country , excluding aboriginal groups until 2004 . current whaling nations are norway , iceland , and japan , despite their joining to the iwc , as well as the aboriginal communities of siberia , alaska , and northern canada . subsistence hunters typically use whale products for themselves and depend on them for survival . national and international authorities have given special treatment to aboriginal hunters since their methods of hunting are seen as less destructive and wasteful . this distinction is being questioned as these aboriginal groups are using more modern weaponry and mechanized transport to hunt with , and are selling whale products in the marketplace . some anthropologists argue that the term " subsistence " should also apply to these cash - based exchanges as long as they take place within local production and consumption . in 1946 , the iwc placed a moratorium , limiting the annual whale catch . since then , yearly profits for these " subsistence " hunters have been close to us $ 31 million ( uk £ 20m ) per year . other threats whales can also be threatened by humans more indirectly . they are unintentionally caught in fishing nets by commercial fisheries as bycatch and accidentally swallow fishing hooks . and seine netting is a significant cause of mortality in whales and other marine mammals . species commonly entangled include beaked whales . whales are also affected by marine pollution . high levels of organic chemicals accumulate in these animals since they are high in the food chain . they have large reserves of blubber , more so for toothed whales as they are higher up the food chain than baleen whales . lactating mothers can pass the toxins on to their young . these pollutants can cause gastrointestinal cancers and greater vulnerability to infectious diseases . they can also be poisoned by swallowing litter , such as plastic bags . environmentalists speculate that advanced naval sonar endangers some whales . some scientists suggest that sonar may trigger whale beachings , and they point to signs that such whales have experienced decompression sickness . conservation the scale of whale harvesting decreased substantially after 1946 when , in response to the steep decline in whale populations , the international whaling commission placed a moratorium which set a catch limit for each country ; this excluded aboriginal groups up until 2004 . as of 2015 , aboriginal communities are allowed to take 280 bowhead whales off of alaska and two from the western coast of greenland , 620 gray whales off of washington state , three common minke whales off of the eastern coast of greenland and 178 on their western coast , 10 fin whales from the west coast of greenland , nine humpback whales from the west coast of greenland and 20 off of st. vincent and the grenadines each year . several species that were commercially exploited have rebounded in numbers ; for example , grey whales may be as numerous as they were prior to harvesting , but the north atlantic population is functionally extinct . conversely , the north atlantic right whale was extirpated from much of its former range , which stretched across the north atlantic , and only remains in small fragments along the coast of canada , greenland , and is considered functionally extinct along the european coastline . the iwc has designated two whale sanctuaries : the southern ocean whale sanctuary , and the indian ocean whale sanctuary . the southern ocean whale sanctuary spans 30 , 560 , 860 square kilometres ( 11 , 799 , 610 sq mi ) and envelopes antarctica . the indian ocean whale sanctuary takes up all of the indian ocean south of 55 ° s. the iwc is a voluntary organization , with no treaty . any nation may leave as they wish ; the iwc cannot enforce any law it makes . as of 2013 , the international union for conservation of nature ( iucn ) recognized 86 cetacean species , 40 of which are considered whales . six are considered at risk , as they are ranked critically endangered ( the north atlantic right whale ) , " endangered " ( blue whale , fin whale , north pacific right whale , and sei whale ) , and " vulnerable " ( sperm whale ) . twenty - one species have a " data deficient " ranking . species that live in polar habitats are vulnerable to the effects of recent and ongoing climate change , particularly the time when pack ice forms and melts . whale watching an estimated 13 million people went whale watching globally in 2008 , in all oceans except the arctic . rules and codes of conduct have been created to minimize harassment of the whales . iceland , japan and norway have both whaling and whale watching industries . whale watching lobbyists are concerned that the most inquisitive whales , which approach boats closely and provide much of the entertainment on whale - watching trips , will be the first to be taken if whaling is resumed in the same areas . whale watching generated us $ 2 . 1 billion ( uk £ 1 . 4 billion ) per annum in tourism revenue worldwide , employing around 13 , 000 workers . in contrast , the whaling industry , with the moratorium in place , generates us $ 31 million ( uk £ 20 million ) per year . the size and rapid growth of the industry has led to complex and continuing debates with the whaling industry about the best use of whales as a natural resource . in myth , literature and art as marine creatures that reside in either the depths or the poles , humans knew very little about whales over the course of history ; many feared or revered them . the nords and various arctic tribes revered the whale as they were important pieces of their lives . in inuit creation myths , when ' big raven ' , a deity in human form , found a stranded whale , he was told by the great spirit where to find special mushrooms that would give him the strength to drag the whale back to the sea and thus , return order to the world . in an icelandic legend , a man threw a stone at a fin whale and hit the blowhole , causing the whale to burst . the man was told not to go to sea for twenty years , but during the nineteenth year he went fishing and a whale came and killed him . whales played a major part in shaping the art forms of many coastal civilizations , such as the norse , with some dating to the stone age . petroglyphs off a cliff face in , south korea show 300 depictions of various animals , a third of which are whales . some show particular detail in which there are throat pleats , typical of rorquals . these petroglyphs show these people , of around 7 , 000 to 3 , 500 b.c.e. in south korea , had a very high dependency on whales . the pacific islanders and australian aborigines viewed whales as bringers of good and joy . one exception is french polynesia , where in many parts , cetaceans are met with great brutality . in vietnam and ghana , among other places , whales hold a sense of divinity . they are so respected in their cultures that they occasionally hold funerals for beached whales , a throwback to vietnam 's ancient sea - based austro - asiatic culture . the god of the seas , according to chinese folklore , was a large whale with human limbs . whales have also played a role in sacred texts such as the bible . it mentions whales in genesis 1 : 21 , job 7 : 12 , and ezekiel 32 : 2 . the " leviathan " described at length in job 41 : 1 - 34 is generally understood to refer to a whale . the " sea monsters " in lamentations 4 : 3 have been taken by some to refer to marine mammals , in particular whales , although most modern versions use the word " jackals " instead . the story of jonah being swallowed by a great fish is told both in the qur 'an and in the bible . a medieval column capital sculpture depicting this was made in the 12th century in the abbey church in , france . the old testament contains the book of jonah and in the new testament , jesus mentions this story in matthew 12 : 40 . in 1585 , alessandro farnese , 1585 , and francois , duke of anjou , 1582 , were greeted on his ceremonial entry into the port city of antwerp by floats including " neptune and the whale " , indicating at least the city 's dependence on the sea for its wealth . whales continue to be prevalent in modern literature . for example , herman melville 's moby dick features a " great white whale " as the main antagonist for ahab , who eventually is killed by it . the whale is an albino sperm whale , considered by melville to be the largest type of whale , and is partly based on the historically attested bull whale dick . rudyard kipling 's just so stories includes the story of " how the whale got in his throat " . niki caro 's film the whale rider has a māori girl ride a whale in her journey to be a suitable heir to the chieftain - ship . walt disney 's film pinocchio features a giant whale named monstro as the final antagonist . alan ' orchestra and god created great whales including the recorded sounds of humpback and bowhead whales . léo ferré 's song " il n 'y a plus rien " is an example of that begins and ends with recorded whale songs mixed with a symphonic orchestra and his voice . in captivity belugas were the first whales to be kept in captivity . other species were too rare , too shy , or too big . the first beluga was shown at barnum 's museum in new york city in 1861 . for most of the 20th century , canada was the predominant source of wild belugas . they were taken from the st. lawrence river estuary until the late 1960s , after which they were predominantly taken from the churchill river estuary until capture was banned in 1992 . russia has become the largest provider since it had been banned in canada . belugas are caught in the amur river delta and their eastern coast , and then are either transported domestically to aquariums or dolphinariums in moscow , st. petersburg , and sochi , or exported to other countries , such as canada . most captive belugas are caught in the wild , since captive - breeding programs are not very successful . as of 2006 , 30 belugas were in canada and 28 in the united states , and 42 deaths in captivity had been reported up to that time . a single specimen can reportedly fetch up to us $ 100 , 000 ( uk £ 64 , 160 ) on the market . the beluga 's popularity is due to its unique colour and its facial expressions . the latter is possible because while most cetacean " smiles " are fixed , the extra movement afforded by the beluga 's unfused cervical vertebrae allows a greater range of apparent expression . between 1960 and 1992 , the navy carried out a program that included the study of marine mammals ' abilities with sonar , with the objective of improving the detection of underwater objects . a large number of belugas were used from 1975 on , the first being dolphins . the program also included training them to carry equipment and material to divers working underwater by holding cameras in their mouths to locate lost objects , survey ships and submarines , and underwater monitoring . a similar program was used by the russian navy during the cold war , in which belugas were also trained for operations in the arctic . aquariums have tried housing other species of whales in captivity . the success of belugas turned attention to maintaining their relative , the narwhal , in captivity . however , in repeated attempts in the 1960s and 1970s , all narwhals kept in captivity died within months . a pair of pygmy right whales were retained in an enclosed area ( with nets ) ; they were eventually released in south africa . there was one attempt to keep a stranded sowerby 's beaked whale calf in captivity ; the calf rammed into the tank wall , breaking its rostrum , which resulted in death . it was thought that sowerby 's beaked whale evolved to swim fast in a straight line , and a 30 metres ( 98 ft ) was not big enough . there have been attempts to keep baleen whales in captivity . there were three attempts to keep gray whales in captivity . gigi was a gray whale calf that died in transport . gigi ii was another gray whale calf that was captured in the ojo de liebre lagoon , and was transported to seaworld . the 680 kilograms ( 1 , 500 lb ) calf was a popular attraction , and behaved normally , despite being separated from his mother . a year later , the 8 , 000 - kilogram ( 18 , 000 lb ) whale grew too big to keep in captivity and was released ; it was the first of two gray whales , the other being another gray whale calf named jj , to successfully be kept in captivity . there were three attempts to keep minke whales in captivity in japan . they were kept in a tidal pool with a sea - gate at the izu mito sea paradise . another , unsuccessful , attempt was made by the u.s. one stranded humpback whale calf was kept in captivity for rehabilitation , but died days later . whales over the last few hundred years sailors and whalers have reported seeing whales they cannot identify . giglioli 's whale is a purported species of baleen whale observed by enrico hillyer giglioli . is the nickname for a whale - like creature reportedly sighted in margate , south africa in 1924 . the high - finned sperm whale , or physeter , is a supposed variant or relative of the known sperm whale , physeter macrocephalus , said to live in the seas around the shetland islands , the southern ocean , and nova scotia . books