Page 33 - An-introduction-to-Svalbard

WHALES

It is not uncommon to spot a whale or two in the waters around Svalbard. Belugas are in the area
all year round, while the Minke, humpback and fin whales migrate into these nutrient waters
during the summer months.

The beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) is a toothed whale that is between three and five
metres long. It has no true dorsal fin, which has given it its scientific name Delphinapterus:
Dolphin without wing. However, it has a ridge along the spine, darker pigmented than the
body and often scarred by contact with the ice. The beluga is one of only three high latitude
whale species that do not occur south of Arctic waters.

The Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) is the smallest baleen whale. Instead of teeth
it has some 300 yellowish-white baleen plates on each side of its upper jaw. These plates
work like a sieve when it catches its food, small zooplankton. A Minke whale can be up to 10
metres long and weigh nearly 10 tons. Its body is slender and streamlined, dark gray on top
with white or pale bands on the pectoral fins.

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) also belongs to the baleen family. It is blackish,
with a white underside and has longer pectoral fins than any other whale. An adult humpback
whale is about 15 metres long, its pectoral fins are about 3.5 meters long and it weighs up
to 40 tons. The humpback is known worldwide for its breaching (lifting the whole body above
the water) and for its unique singing.

The fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) is closely related to the blue whale and is the World's
second largest animal species. It can be up to 26 metres long and weigh up to 75 tons. It is
brown-gray on top with a white belly. The lower lip on the right side is white, while the left is
greyish-black like the rest of the head. The fin whale has a lighter V-mark behind the head, and
its dorsal fin is swept back.

The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is one of the largest animals ever to have existed on
Earth and it feeds on one of the smallest (krill). The blue whale has a long streamlined body
with a pale blue to grey back with mottled blotches. The belly is usually paler and sometimes
whitish. These baleen whales can grow up to 30 metres long and weigh an incredible 150
tons or more. The blue whale is rare, but has been observed in the waters surrounding Svalbard,
especially along the northern coasts and on the west coast of Spitsbergen.

The giants of the sea sometimes appear when you least expect it.

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