Marine Living

Cetaceans differ greatly in their appearance, distribution, and behavior. The word cetacean is used to describe all whales, dolphins and porpoises in the order Cetacea. This word comes from the Latin cetus meaning "a large sea animal," and the Greek word ketos, meaning "sea monster."

There are about 86 species of cetaceans. The term "about" is used because as scientists learn more about these fascinating animals, new species are discovered or populations are re-classified.

Cetaceans range in size from the tiniest dolphin, Hector's dolphin, which is just over 39 inches long, to the largest whale, the blue whale, which can be over 100 feet long. Cetaceans live in all of the oceans and many of the major rivers of the world.

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There are about 86 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises in the Order Cetacea, which is further divided into two sub-orders, the Odontocetes, or toothed whales and the Mysticetes, or baleen whales. Cetaceans can differ greatly in their appearance, distribution, and behavior. Learn about and see photos of featured cetacean species.

© Blue Ocean SocietyBlue whales are thought to be the largest animal ever to live on the Earth. They reach lengths up to about 100 feet and weights of an amazing 100-150 tons. Their skin is a beautiful gray-blue color, often with a mottling of light spots.

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There is one dugong species living today, which is simply called the dugong. Dugongs live in warm waters along the coasts from East Africa to Australia. This range spans at least 48 countries. They can grow to lengths of 8-10 feet and weights of up to 1,100 pounds. Dugongs are gray or brown in coloration and have a whale-like tail. Like Manatees, dugongs are sirenians and feed on aquatic plants.

Dugongs are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Threats include coastal development and hunting by indigenous peoples.

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