ARCTIC WHALETOURS

Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus): 10-18m, 40-60 tonnes:

The sperm whale is the largest toothed whale. The whales living in the Norwegian waters have an average size of about 14-16m. All the sperm whales found in these waters are males; females and calves rest in more temperate waters in the northern/middle antlantic (50ºS- 40ºN).
They are very often seen in summer in the Bleiksdjupet under-water-canyon because it coincides with the ending of the continental shelf, which mixes waters of different streams producing an area very rich in food. Sperm whales feed on squids (Gonatus sp. here) and deep-sea fishes, including some species of small sharks. It has been estimated that an adult can eat 1 ton of food per day. Usually they dive between 500-700m deep to hunt their preys, however dives deeper than 3000m have been deduced from analysing stomach contents. They stay at the surface for about 7 minutes on average, followed by a 20-35 minutes dive. The maximum dive duration can be up to two hours.
The sperm whale is very easy to distinguish because it has a big head and its blow is inclined 45º forward and to the left, due to the anterior left position of the blowhole.
The reproduction rate is very slow. A female can have a calve every 3-5 years. But they seem to have a lifespan of 60 – 70 years.

Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata): 7-10m, 10 tonnes:

Minke whales are among the smallest of the baleen whales. They use their baleen plates to filter krill, fishes (like herring or capelin) and some cephalopods. Minke whales are usually seen either alone or in small groups, although large aggregations sometimes occur in feeding areas. Mating is presumed to occur in winter. The females can give birth every year. Calving is thought to occur in winter after a gestation of approximately 10 months. Acoustical data suggests that calving grounds may be in tropical waters. Norwegian whalers are allowed to hunt a certain quota of them every ear.

Long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas): 6-6.5m (males), 4-5.5m (females), 2 tonnes:

Males and females can be distinguished by the shape of the dorsal fin, which is bigger and more curved in the case of the males. They live in groups of 10 to 20 individuals, thought to be formed for females and their offspring, but it is common to see large schools of hundreds of them with a high degree of social cohesion. The main dives are done in depths between 30-60m, but they can reach nearly 600m deep. They eat mainly cephalopods, fishes and some crustaceans.

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae):

Humpback whale can be up to 18 meters long and can weight almost 40 tonnes.
They are sometimes encountered in groups of 3-4 individuals. Humpback whale can do acrobatic jumps out of the water and often hits the water with long flippers. Scientist belive it can be one form of communication. Humpback whales are known by their "singing". These loud songs can last up to 20 minutes.

Killer whale or orca (Orcinus orca). In Norway: 7m and 4-5 tonnes (males), 5.5m and 3 tonnes (females):

Orcas are particularly often found in the Norwegian waters in the winter because that is when the spring-spawn herring - their main pray during that season – enter and group inside the fjords. Between 600 and 700 orcas can be seen in Vestfjord and Tysfjord from October to January. This same boat, MS “Leonora” arranges safaris to see orcas in the winter. During the summer the groups of orcas are more dispersed due to the distribution of their preys. Their diet is very varied, composed by fishes, cephalopods, sea turtles, birds, seals and even other cetaceans.