Unlike humans, whales and dolphins are conscious breathers, which means they must be awake to take a breath, and they use sound underwater to communicate, find prey,\u00a0socialise\u00a0and navigate.\u00a0<\/p>
- How do dolphins sleep?<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
What’s the difference between whales and dolphins?<\/h2>
There are lots of differences between whales and dolphins,\u00a0too – but it can get complex.\u00a0To begin with, which species do we\u00a0even\u00a0call \u2018whales\u2019?\u00a0<\/p>
The term whale or dolphin doesn’t tell us an awful lot and we should really look at them all collectively as\u00a0whales –\u00a0either baleen whales (see below) or toothed\u00a0whales. However,\u00a0for the purposes of this article, we will separate them into the whale or dolphin camps.<\/p>
How to tell the difference between a whale and a dolphin<\/h2>
Blue Whale. Image credit: Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure> One of the more obvious differences between dolphins and whales is size. In general, whales tend to be bigger<\/a> than dolphins, and both are bigger than porpoises (all three classed as cetaceans). The biggest creature on the planet is the\u00a0blue whale<\/a>, measuring around 30m in length and weighting 150,000 kg.\u00a0
- Are killer whales dangerous to humans?<\/a><\/li>
- Why are killer whales attacking boats?<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
What do porpoises look like?<\/h3>
![\"What](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2023\/11\/Finless-porpoise.jpg?fit=1024,1024\")
Finless porpoise. Image credit: Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure> That leaves the little porpoise. Smaller than dolphins,\u00a0there are seven species. They\u00a0tend to be\u00a0less than 2.5m (8ft) long. They are also characteristically chunkier than dolphins and have a small head, little or no beak, and a small triangular dorsal fin (with the exception, of course, of the finless porpoises).\u00a0<\/p>
- Whales, dolphins and porpoises of the UK guide: which species to look out for, how to identify, and where to see them<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Do whales and dolphins have teeth?<\/h2>
Now, back to the\u00a0dental differences. Teeth are a great help if your daily diet is octopus<\/a> and larger fish. \u00a0But even teeth differ.\u00a0Porpoise teeth are spade-shaped, whilst dolphins are conical. When it comes to\u00a0whale\u00a0teeth, some have lots,\u00a0some only have a few, whilst\u00a0others have none.\u00a0<\/p>
Whales with no teeth are known as\u00a0and\u00a0feed on smaller foodstuffs such as krill and plankton. They\u00a0have no need for teeth. Instead,\u00a0the fringed plates\u00a0(baleen)\u00a0hanging inside their mouths are used to strain seawater for food. The are 15 species of\u00a0baleen whale, including the blue whale, and they are sometimes referred to as the \u2018great whales\u2019 due to their overall larger size.\u00a0<\/p>
Another visible difference is the blowhole<\/a>.\u00a0Baleen\u00a0whales\u00a0have\u00a0two blowholes,\u00a0whilst\u00a0toothed\u00a0whales\u00a0(as well as all dolphins and porpoise)\u00a0have\u00a0one.\u00a0<\/p>
Do whales and dolphins share the same habitat?<\/h2>
![\"Pod](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2023\/11\/Pod-of-dolphins-scaled.jpg\")
Common dolphins. Image credit: Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure> On the social front, dolphins tend to hang out in groups or pods, whereas whales are likely to be more solitary.\u00a0Dolphins are found\u00a0more\u00a0in shallower waters closer to shore.\u00a0
There are some dramatic differences in lifespan, too. For example,\u00a0the\u00a0harbour porpoise\u00a0can live to around\u00a012 years, whereas\u00a0bowhead whales<\/a> have lived to 200 years.\u00a0Imagine the tales they could tell.<\/p>
How intelligent are whales and dolphins?<\/h2>
- Why are killer whales attacking boats?<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
- Are killer whales dangerous to humans?<\/a><\/li>