Whales are a varied and widely dispersed species of
completely aquatic placental marine animals. They are an informal suborder of
the Cetacea, generally omitting dolphins and porpoises. Whales, dolphins, and
porpoises are members of the order Cetartiodactyla, which includes even-toed
ungulates. Their nearest surviving cousins are hippopotamuses, from whom they
separated around 40 million years ago. The two whale groups, baleen whales
(Mysticeti) and toothed whales (Odontoceti), are estimated to have separated
approximately 34 million years ago.
Whales consist of eight extant families:
Balaenopteridae (the rorquals), Balaenidae (right
whales), Cetotheriidae (the pygmy right whale), Eschrichtiidae (the grey
whale), Monodontidae (belugas and narwhals), Physeteridae (the sperm whale),
Kogiidae (the dwarf and pygmy sperm whale), and Ziphiidae (the beaked whales)
(the beaked whales).
Whales are aquatic, open ocean creatures, and feed,
mate, give birth, nurse, and rear their young at sea. Whales range in size from
2.6 meters (8.5 feet) and 135 kilograms (298 pounds) for dwarf sperm whales to
29.9 meters (98 feet) and 190 metric tons (210 short tons) for blue whales, the
biggest known mammal to have ever lived.
Craig Capeheart, a scuba diver, saw a spectacular
occurrence off the southeastern coast of South Africa when he observed a 40-ton
humpback whale leap completely out of the water. The whale, who appeared
remarkably spry for such a huge animal causing other boat passengers to exclaim
in astonishment as it splashed down.
The majestic animal is breaching, which is a type of
activity. Researchers believe that breaching is a method for far groups to communicate
as opposed to tail and fin slapping which is reserved for close-range
communication.
Though a breach is defined as every time the whale's
body is at least 40% above sea level, seeing their complete body soar out of
the water is extremely unusual. As a result, Capeheart's close-up film is a
one-of-a-kind treasure. “It appears that no recording of an adult humpback
whale leaping completely out of the water has ever been made! “This is an
extremely unusual occurrence,” Capeheart adds “while dolphins and even Great
White Sharks have been observed soaring out of the water, this is the first
time an adult humpback whale has done so!”
This huge whale leaps completely out of the water, a
rare sight recorded on film by a South African scuba diver.
H/t: [Mashable]
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