Sperm Whale and iceberg

Inspired by observing the blue whales.

Sperm whales are a type of toothed whale and were named by early whalers who thought the oil fluid in their heads was sperm. The substance is spermaceti and it is believed that it aids with buoyancy during deep dives.

Humpback Whale

A Humpback Whale swims between packice.

What's going on out there?

My observations and paintings of whales inspired me to read more about them. This work depicts two humpback whales "spy-hopping" (having a nosey at what's happening out there).

Spy-hopping is when whales hold their head above water so that their eye is just above the surface. This allows them to see whatever is nearby, this can last for several minutes.

Humpback Whale sounds for krill

I imagined how the scene of the humpback feeding on krill might appear.

Krill are shrimp-like invertebrates (fish without back bone). They can grow to a length of 6 cm, interestingly they are actually designed wrong in that they weigh more than seawater and spend their lives swimming upward.

Three Humpback Whales

Whales peacefully gliding through the water.

Humpback whales have very long flippers but are less sleek and slender than other baleen whales.

Minke Whales beneath Mount Herschel, Antarctica

Minke whales were ignored as a commercial species by whalers until quite recently. Two countries, Norway and Japan, continue to hunt them despite strong opposition from many countries.