Cetaceans boards
Cetaceans are warm-blooded mammals, which means they give birth to their young and nurse them. They spend their entire lives at sea and usually live in social groups called "pods."
Cetaceans breathe air just like us, but seeing as they live in the water, this is somewhat more difficult. Many, like the sperm whale, can hold their breath and stay underwater for a long time after which, in order to breathe, they must resurface and swim with the top of their heads out of the water to keep their nostrils open.
There are some 70 cetacean species and they live in all the seas of the world, from the coldest waters of the polar regions to the warm waters of the tropics and equatorial areas.
Cetaceans are divided into two major suborders: Odotoceti, or toothed whales and Mysticeti, or baleen whales. Odontoceti have teeth – anywhere from 1 to 65 – and are usually smaller than whales, even though they can grow to some 18 m in length, such as the Sperm Whale. They have only one nostril. Mysticeti are usually bigger and have two nostrils. They do not have teeth but so-called baleen plates, filters which retain the plankton they use to nourish themselves.
The Mediterranean Sea counts eight different species of cetaceans, while four other species are occasional visitors, that is, they come and go through the Straits of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal. On our cruise you will be able to sight any one, or more, of the following:
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THE SHORT-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHIN (Tursiops truncatus) is of medium size and has a dark and prominent dorsal fin.
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THE SPERM WHALE (Physeter macrocephalus) can reach up to 18 m in length when fully grown, although the females are somewhat smaller at anywhere from 10 to 11 m long.
THE DOLPHIN is a highly talented acrobat, swims very quickly and can jump high into the air. It makes a loud whistling sound. Dolphins stay under water for up to 2 minutes at a time.
THE STRIPED DOLPHIN (Stenella coeruleoalba) is the most common dolphin of our seas. It lives in small pods of a hundred or so members and are often sighted within two kilometres of the coast.
THE LONG-FINNED PILOT WHALE (Globicephala melas) takes its name from the shape of its bulbous forehead.
THE CUVIER'S BEAKED WHALE (Ziphius cavirostris) can reach a length of some 7 meters, with the females just a bit bigger than the males.
THE RISSO’S DOLPHIN, easily identified by the white “scars” (the result of social interaction) it sports on its body, can grow to a maximum length of 3.5 to 4 meters. It can weigh between 400 to 600 kg.
THE COMMON FIN WHALE (Balaenoptera physalus) is the second largest mammal ever to live on the earth, the Blue Whale being the largest.
