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Arctic World
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Whalers began hunting as early as the 16 th century in the Arctic . Whales were wanted for their oil – to use as fuel, to lubricate machinery and to make soaps. As well as this, whale bone was used to make parasol frames, whips, fishing rods, corsets and hoop skirts. In the Arctic , there are several species of whales but there are only three true Arctic whales - the Bowhead, Beluga and the Narwhal. The giant Bowhead whale has an unusually shaped mouth like a bow, hence its name. Calves are born bluish grey but eventually turn bluish black. It can reach 18 meters long and weigh up to 100 tonnes. They feed on krill, zoo plankton and other small sea creatures, particularly crustaceans. The ghostly white Beluga whale has a curved mouth, which makes them look as if they are always smiling. They are known as the ‘sea canaries' of the sea due to the noises they make. They have large foreheads, no dorsal fin, no beak, are white in color and can reach to up to four or five meters in length. They feed on squid, octopus, fish, halibut, shrimp, flounder, rockfish, cod, crab and other small sea creatures. The single tusked Narwhal have a grimy color from a mixture of mottled brown, spotted gray and washed out white. It averages four metres in length and weighs nearly two tonnes. The male Narwhal's left tooth forms a straight ivory tusk and Narwhal's are sometimes called ‘sea unicorns'. Females don't have a tusk. Narwhals feed on crab, salmon, herring, capelin, cod, mollusks, flounder, shrimp and other small sea creatures.Information about the Northern Lights
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