amphipod (AM-fuh-pod) - any of a scientific group of small aquatic invertebrates; related to crabs and shrimp.

baleen (bay-LEEN) - the fringed plates that grow from the upper jaw of baleen whales and filter food from the water.

beak - is the elongated part of the mouth and jaws(the snout) on beaked whales and some dolphins

breaching - is an activity in which the whale  jumps fully or partially out of the water and then slaps the water loudly when coming back down.  Sometimes they twirl around while breaching.  Breaching  may be purely for play, may be used to loosen skin parasites, may be used in communication (the noise of the water slapping), and/or may have some social mening.

blow - the visible exhalation of a whale.

blowhole - opening to the lungs of a whale, similar to human nostrils.

blubber - a layer of fat just below the skin of some aquatic mammals.

calf - A calf is a baby whale (or other baby cetacean).

dorsal fin - the fin on a whale's back. Fins consist of dense, fibrous connective tissue, with no bones.

echolocate (ECK-oh-LOW-kate) - to locate objects by emitting sound waves and interpreting the resulting echo.

endangered - threatened with extinction by human-made or natural changes in the environment.

flippers - the broad flat forelimbs of whales. Flippers are supported by bones. They're used for steering and stopping.

flukes - horizontal lobes of the tail of a whale, used for propulsion.

krill -  are tiny animals, euphasiids, that float in the oceans.  They are shrimp-like crustaceans that are found in vast amounts in the cold waters of the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans.  Baleen whales eat krill that they sieve through their baleen.  Blue whales can eat about 4 tons of krill each day.

marine mammal - a mammal adapted to live in the marine environment and dependent on the ocean for food.

melon - the rounded region of a toothed whale's forehead containing fatty tissue.

plankton (PLANK-tuhn) - tiny plants and animals that drift in the ocean.

pod - a group of whales.

population - a group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area and have the opportunity to breed with
each other.

predator - an animal that eats other animals.

prey - an animal eaten by another animal. rostrum (RAH-strum)- a snoutlike projection. whale - any of an order of
completely aquatic mammals called Cetacean, which includes dolphins and porpoises. Whales have flippers, flukes, and
blowholes.