![]() ![]() Dwarf sperm whales are easily confused with closely related Pygmy sperm whales, also known as Kogia breviceps. ![]() The shape of their fins, head, beak or rostrum, body, along with coloration are used to distinguish between species. Like all cetaceans, they do not chew their prey but swallow them whole.Īll cetaceans have a strong tail fin or flukes that they move up and down to propel themselves forward, two side fins for maneuvering, and most have a dorsal fin for balance and regulating body temperature. Dolphins, porpoises, and a few ‘toothed’ whales, like Dwarf sperm whales, have sharp teeth to catch slippery prey which they suck into their mouth. Just like humans, female cetaceans normally give birth to a single baby or calf that feeds on mothers’ milk before becoming independent. Cetaceans are air-breathing mammals that spend their entire life in water. The Dwarf sperm whale is one of more than 90 species of cetaceans. As the world’s smallest whale, Dwarf sperm whales cannot depend on their size to scare off predators. This is like the inky black fluid released by octopuses when they are frightened. The whale has a small sac hanging off its intestines filled with a reddish-brown liquid that it releases into the water to hide from predators. Besides fake gills, Dwarf sperm whales have another unique characteristic among cetaceans. The Dwarf sperm whale exhibits these features to fool predators, such as killer whales and large sharks, into thinking that it is a shark. The whale looked almost like a shark with a square head, forward jutting snout, and a white band that looked like fake gills. While looking through these photographs, we were taken by surprise. Volunteer members of the Kuakata Dolphin Conservation Committee, who had attended a basic training on responding to cetacean (the scientific grouping of whales, dolphins, and porpoises) mortalities, conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in November 2021, enthusiastically shared more detailed photographs. They were first confirmed record of this wildlife species occurring in Bangladesh. Although tragic for the whale, the photographs were exciting for wildlife conservationists. Local people heroically tried to push it back out to sea, but the whale floated back with the incoming tide before it died about two hours later. Known to scientists as Kogia sima, the whale was initially found alive. That is exactly what happened when a member of the Kuakata Dolphin Conservation Committee posted a photograph of a Dwarf sperm whale that stranded on the beach near Kuakata. Kuakata, Bangladesh - Imagine discovering a whale in Bangladesh that looks like a shark and is smaller than most dolphins. ![]()
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