The killer whale or orca (Orcinus orca), or less commonly, blackfish, is the largest species of the dolphin family. It is
found in all the world's oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to warm, tropical seas. Some killer whale populations
feed mostly on fish while others hunt sharks and marine mammals, including sea lions, seals, walruses and even large whales.
Porpoises are small cetaceans of the family Phocoenidae; they are related to whales and dolphins. They are distinct from dolphins,
although the word "porpoise" has been used to refer to any small dolphin, especially by sailors and fishermen. The most obvious
visible difference between the two groups is that porpoises have flattened, spade-shaped teeth distinct from the conical teeth
of dolphins, and shorter beaks.
The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a Baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from
12–16 metres (39–52 ft) and weigh approximately 36,000 kilograms (79,000 lb). The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with
unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the water. Males
produce a complex whale song, which lasts for 10 to 20 minutes and is repeated for hours at a time.
The sperm whale, (Physeter macrocephalus), is a species of marine mammal in the order cetacea, a toothed whale (odontocete)
with the largest brain of any animal. The whale was named after the milky-white waxy substance, spermaceti, found in its head
and originally mistaken for sperm. The sperm whale is the only member of the genus Physeter, the synonym Physeter catodon
refers to the same species.
Bottlenose dolphins, the genus Tursiops, are the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family
of oceanic dolphins. Recent molecular studies show the genus contains two species, the Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops
truncatus) and the Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus), where previous thought was that this was one species.
Bottlenose dolphins inhabit warm and temperate seas worldwide.
The toothed whales form a suborder of the cetaceans, including sperm whales, beaked whales, orca, dolphins, and others. As
the name suggests, the suborder is characterized by having teeth, rather than baleen as do animals in the other suborder of
cetaceans, Mysticeti.
