Baird’s beaked whale is an interesting creature. They are believed to be one of the rarest whales to be found and the largest beaked whale. Nobody really knows much about these animals but, with a little research, they can be very fascinating. They may look harmless, but, they can be dangerous if close enough.

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Baird’s beaked whales are the largest beaked whale found .They are 12 meters long and weigh up to 14,000kg.The beaked whale can be a color from light grey to black and tend to grow white scares as they begin to grow as an adult. They have a long, sturdy beak. Their lower jaw is longer than the upper and their teeth are visible even if their mouth is fully closed. The flippers are small, rounded and set towards to the front of the body. One of the fins is usually smaller and a little bit farther down than the other. The dorsal fin is quite small, rounded and set three-quarters from the back.

 

Beaked whales usually live in Japanese ocean waters near the ocean floor but, some live in New Zealand and Argentina.  “They prefer to stay in seas with steep cliffs at the end of a continental shelf.”  They like cool temperatures and icy waters. Most individuals live in the southern part of Antarctica during summer and winter. After they age they swim freely and don’t really live anywhere.

 

The population of beaked whales isn’t an exact count but, they are estimated to be around 30,000 individuals. Estimating is hard for scientists because Baird’s beaked whales are hunted.Baird's beaked whales were hunted primarily in Japan. Over 4,000whales are killed per year.

 

When beaked whales eat, they hide in a small cave until they see food. They usually eat squid and deep sea fish. Since you can see their front teeth, they trap their prey by poking their teeth through the body and eat out the flesh and meat. The animal can’t see them since they are so deep in the ocean. After the whale is done eating the fish, they leave it so another animal can eat it later.

 

Overall, this animal is very important to the environment. Still, research is still being discovered for people to see. Even now the information found is used all the time everyday.

 

Author: Angela C.

Published: 02/2011

 

Sources: http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=415 http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/cetaceans/beakedwhale_bairds.htm

http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/2763/0

Encyclopedia of Marine Whales, Summers, John

 

Picture source:
http://ask.images.com/giant