Cetaceans, the Giants of the Open Ocean

The wonderful world of whales and dolphins. Below the waves lies a world of giants. Out in the open ocean, whales and dolphins are well-suited for to a life of wandering, traversing thousands of miles each year in search of krill blooms or breeding grounds. Together, these colossal mammals belong to the infraorder cetaceans. A name with roots in Greek, from ketos, meaning ‘a large sea creature’. But despite their size, cetaceans are elusive creatures, spending most of their lives underwater and in remote areas far out to sea. Let’s shine a light on the wonderful world of these marine mammals. 00:00 - An Introduction to Cetaceans 01:11 - The Diversity of Cetaceans 01:50 - The Structure of Whales and Dolphins 02:47 - The Two Cetacean Superfamilies 03:01 - Mysticeti: How Baleen Whales Hunt 03:34 - The Colossal Blue Whale 03:58 - Rorqual Whales Explained 04:20 - Seasonal Whale Migrations 04:55 - Odontoceti: The Toothed Whales 05:14 - The Acrobatic Spinner Dolphin 05:42 - Hunting: Strand Feeding in Dolphins 06:12