City Cruises Dolphin Watching Adventure Cruises highlight baleen whales in San Diego, especially Gray Whales and Blue Whales, which seasonally travel along the San Diego coastline. This page features Humpback Whales, Minke Whales, and Fin Whales that are also commonly spotted during these whale watch cruises.
All whales are cetaceans— a group of marine mammals that includes all dolphins, porpoises, and whales. Cetaceans have a single or double blowhole (nostril/s) on top of their head, two front flippers, and tail flukes that they move up and down to swim through the water.
Baleen whales are in the Scientific Order Mysticeti. Unlike toothed whales, baleen whales have a double blowhole and rows of baleen hanging down from each side of their upper jaw. These whales use their baleen for filtering tiny, clustered prey from the water. Baleen whales also tend to be much larger than toothed whales.
Visit our Gray Whale Page and Blue Whale Page to discover more about these two species. Below, you can learn about some of the other baleen whale species you may see during a City Cruises whale watch cruise.
Su aventura de avistamiento de ballenas comienza hoy con City Cruises San Diego
Cuando visite la zona de San Diego, aproveche la oportunidad única de contemplar la majestuosa belleza de las ballenas grises, las ballenas azules y los juguetones leones marinos en su hábitat natural con una aventura de avistamiento de ballenas y delfines. Tanto si es un entusiasta de la naturaleza, un aficionado a la fotografía o simplemente busca una excursión memorable, un crucero por la costa de San Diego ofrece una mezcla perfecta de emoción y educación. Únase a City Cruises San Diego y explore el mejor crucero de avistamiento de leones marinos y ballenas de la zona de Los Ángeles y descubra de qué habla todo el mundo en esta increíble aventura oceánica.
Ballena jorobada
Megaptera novaeangliae
DESCRIPCIÓN:
These graceful baleen whales are mostly dark gray to dark brown with varying amounts of white on their flippers, flukes, and belly. They have long, wing-like flippers and a small, irregularly-shaped dorsal fin. Adults are about as long as a school bus or up to 50 feet long (15.2 meters) and weigh up to 40 tons (36,287 kilograms). Females grow larger than males.
ÁREA DE DISTRIBUCIÓN Y HÁBITAT:
Las ballenas jorobadas se encuentran en todos los océanos del mundo.
DIETA:
Humpback whales are carnivores—they only eat meat. They strain large amounts of tiny clustered prey, including krill (a shrimp-like crustacean), small schooling fish, pelagic or swimming crabs, and squid out of the water using their baleen.
REPRODUCCIÓN:
Las hembras paren una sola cría, a la que amamantan durante aproximadamente un año.
COMPORTAMIENTO:
Las ballenas jorobadas se encuentran solas o viajando o alimentándose en grupos de 2 o más individuos. Las ballenas jorobadas son una de las ballenas más acrobáticas y a menudo saltan (levantan la aleta caudal fuera del agua antes de sumergirse), saltan, saltan en espía, golpean las aletas y golpean la cola.
PREDADORES:
Orcas/ killer whales are the only natural predators of humpbacks
The markings on the underside of a humpback’s flukes are as individual as a fingerprint. Researchers use photos of the flukes to catalog and identify humpbacks in a population. Humpbacks often feed by lunging for food at the surface or underwater. Another exciting method these great whales use to feed is bubble netting, where one humpback surrounds a school of fish with a net of bubbles that it releases from their blowholes. Then several whales surface through the trapped fish with their mouths wide open.
Rorcual común
Balaenoptera physalus
DESCRIPCIÓN:
Fin whales are long and sleek with a V-shaped head. They are mostly gray with a white belly. They have a pronounced, falcate (curved back) dorsal fin. Adults are about as long as 2 school buses or up to 85 feet long (26 meters) and weigh up to 80 tons (72,575 kilograms). Females grow larger than males.
ÁREA DE DISTRIBUCIÓN Y HÁBITAT:
Los rorcuales comunes se encuentran en todos los océanos del mundo.
DIETA:
Los rorcuales comunes son carnívoros:sólo comen carne. Utilizan sus barbas para extraer del agua grandes cantidades de pequeñas presas agrupadas, como krill (un crustáceo parecido a la gamba), pequeños bancos de peces y calamares.
REPRODUCCIÓN:
Las hembras paren una sola cría, a la que amamantan durante aproximadamente un año.
COMPORTAMIENTO:
Los rorcuales comunes se encuentran solos o viajando o alimentándose en grupos de 2 o más rorcuales comunes u otras especies de ballenas barbadas. Rara vez se aletean o rompen. Ocasionalmente, se les ve arremetiendo en la superficie del agua.
PREDADORES:
Orcas/ killer whales are the only natural predators of fin whales .Fin whales have asymmetrical coloration. The right side of their jaw is white, while the left side is dark. The abrupt contrast between the dark and light parts of the fin whale’s right jaw may startle prey into a tighter cluster when the whale hunts. Fin whales are nicknamed the “greyhounds of the sea” and can reach speeds of 23 mph (37 kph) for short bursts of time.
Rorcual aliblanco
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
DESCRIPCIÓN:
These small, baleen whales are sleek with a V-shaped head. They are mostly black with light chevron-shaped gray markings and a white belly and a white band on each flipper. They also have a pronounced, falcate (curved back) dorsal fin. Adults are about 26 to 33 feet (8 to 10 meters) long and weigh up to 10 tons (9,072 kilograms). Females grow larger than males.
ÁREA DE DISTRIBUCIÓN Y HÁBITAT:
Los rorcuales aliblancos se encuentran en todos los océanos del mundo, aunque son raros en los trópicos.
DIETA:
Minke whales are carnivores—they only eat meat. They use their baleen to strain large amounts of tiny clustered prey including krill (a shrimp-like crustacean) and small schooling fishes, out of the water.
REPRODUCCIÓN:
Las hembras paren una sola cría, a la que amamantan durante unos 6 meses.
COMPORTAMIENTO:
Minke whales are usually found by themselves, but occasionally travel in small groups of 2 to 6 whales. Occasionall,y they are seen in small groups of up to 4 whales. Some minkes are curious and will approach boats while others can be shy and difficult to spot. Minke whales occasionally breach.
PREDADORES:
Orcas/ killer whales are the only natural predator of minke whales. The white bands on the minke whale’s flippers are called “minke mittens”. These minke mittens may be used to startle and concentrate prey while the whale is hunting.
Diviértete como una ballena con City Cruises San Diego
Reserve una excursión de avistamiento de ballenas para ver ballenas barbadas en San Diego. Disfrute de vistas cercanas y momentos educativos de la mano de capitanes expertos y naturalistas voluntarios del Museo de Historia Natural de San Diego. Disfrute del yate más cómodo de San Diego para avistar ballenas en mar abierto. Haga clic aquí para ver consejos útiles para el avistamiento de ballenas y las preguntas más frecuentes.
Fecha de publicación original: 6 de marzo de 2019