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Quiz about Whales and Dolphins
Quiz about Whales and Dolphins

Test yourself! Take this Whales and Dolphins Quiz | Wild Mammals


All about the wonderful and intriguing creatures of the deep and the oceanarium.

A multiple-choice quiz by LeoDaVinci. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
LeoDaVinci
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
30,938
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
10 / 15
Plays
9551
Awards
Top 5% quiz!
Last 3 plays: Rudd13 (10/15), amarie94903 (11/15), Guest 24 (0/15).
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Question 1 of 15
1. Whales are a kind of: Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. The very largest whales eat: Hint


Question 3 of 15
3. The female blue whale, the largest whale on earth, weighs ___ times what the largest land animal, the male African elephant weighs. Take the weight for an average animal. Hint


Question 4 of 15
4. 50 to 70 percent of a whale's body weight is: Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. This whale is an all-time champion diver, known to reach depths of up to 3 km. underwater for up to two hours. What kind of whale is it? Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. The Narwhal, a common northern 'white whale', is known for: Hint


Question 7 of 15
7. All whales have a dorsal (back) fin?


Question 8 of 15
8. Killer whales get their name because they constantly attack bathers and divers.


Question 9 of 15
9. Unique tuneful vocalization and considerable aerobatics are typical behavior of: Hint


Question 10 of 15
10. There is now one prevalent theory on why whales beach themselves.


Question 11 of 15
11. Name the most famous literary whale:

Answer: (Two words - think H. Melville)
Question 12 of 15
12. Which species of dolphin is most commonly found near tuna shoals? Hint


Question 13 of 15
13. Which of the following is not a whale or a dolphin? Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. Commercial (as opposed to ritual) whaling originated in which region, one which still participates in the practice? Hint


Question 15 of 15
15. Sperm whales got their name from 18th century whalers because: Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 21 2024 : Rudd13: 10/15
Mar 07 2024 : amarie94903: 11/15
Mar 01 2024 : Guest 24: 0/15
Mar 01 2024 : chang50: 12/15
Feb 29 2024 : mazza47: 11/15
Feb 28 2024 : Guest 172: 10/15
Feb 22 2024 : Guest 172: 11/15
Feb 22 2024 : Guest 73: 11/15
Feb 19 2024 : Guest 64: 7/15

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Whales are a kind of:

Answer: mammal

They were recognized as mammals in 1758 by the Swedish biologist Linnaeus. Mammals give birth to live young, have hair, are warm-blooded, all traits that whales share, even down to stubble-like hair that many species have on their snouts.
2. The very largest whales eat:

Answer: krill and plankton

All of the largest whale families are baleen whales who strain the water for krill and various plankton. Ironic, isn't it, that the very largest animals on Earth eat some of the smallest animals they can find.
3. The female blue whale, the largest whale on earth, weighs ___ times what the largest land animal, the male African elephant weighs. Take the weight for an average animal.

Answer: 33

Female blue whales reach 180 tons on average and an average length of 33 meters. By comparison, the bull African elephant reaches 5.4 tons and stands only 3.6 meters tall.
4. 50 to 70 percent of a whale's body weight is:

Answer: blubber

Blubber helps whales keep warm in the depths of the ocean. Right whales and Bowhead whales have sometimes 30 centimeters of blubber on parts of their bodies. It has more blood vessels than normal fatty tissue and is attached to the whale's skeleton by ligaments and tendons.
5. This whale is an all-time champion diver, known to reach depths of up to 3 km. underwater for up to two hours. What kind of whale is it?

Answer: Sperm whale

Strong and powerful, this whale defies belief in his dives. Moby Dick was a sperm whale, and several sperm whales have been found with scars on their bodies from altercations with giant squids.
6. The Narwhal, a common northern 'white whale', is known for:

Answer: tusk-like tooth

The Narwhal's tusk is actually continued growth of the left tooth and may reach three meters in length. Some Narwhals have two tusks if their right tooth also continues growing, although this is about as rare as left-handedness in humans.
7. All whales have a dorsal (back) fin?

Answer: False

Species like White whales, Right whales several porpoises and dolphins have no dorsal fin at all. All sharks, on the other hand, do have dorsal fins...
8. Killer whales get their name because they constantly attack bathers and divers.

Answer: False

Killer whales were once thought to attack people, but these rumors are now known to be a myth. Orcinus orca feeds mainly on small fish and other smaller dolphins. Human is definitely not on their menu.
9. Unique tuneful vocalization and considerable aerobatics are typical behavior of:

Answer: Humpback whales

Many studies have been made of the Humpback's song. And these whales just love to jump out of the water and perform aerobatic feats.
10. There is now one prevalent theory on why whales beach themselves.

Answer: False

Mass beachings, especially typical to pilot whales are still unexplained.
11. Name the most famous literary whale:

Answer: Moby Dick

All of you should be familiar with Herman Melville's famous story "Moby Dick". The great white sperm whale is Captain Ahab's nemesis. It is a story of Ahab's mad passion to catch the whale which has eluded him for so long.
12. Which species of dolphin is most commonly found near tuna shoals?

Answer: Spinner dolphins

Always buy dolphin-friendly tuna so that we can be sure we aren't killing Spinner dolphins.
13. Which of the following is not a whale or a dolphin?

Answer: Dugong

Dugongs are sea cows, not whales. All the others are different species of the whale family.
14. Commercial (as opposed to ritual) whaling originated in which region, one which still participates in the practice?

Answer: Scandinavia

Norsemen of Scandinavia were hunting whales by the 8th century AD and have dominated the industry ever since. Norway is not a signator to the International Whaling Commission moratorium and doesn't have to comply by those rules set out in it.
15. Sperm whales got their name from 18th century whalers because:

Answer: of the waxy grey oil found in their snout

Just goes to show what the sex-deprived whalers were thinking of...
Source: Author LeoDaVinci

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Tizzabelle before going online.
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