Spectacular whales in Greenland

Greenland has two spectacular species of whale, although they are not the most frequently spotted whales along the coast. One of these is the killer whale, which is a toothed whale which when in a pod can sometimes attack Greenland’s other spectacular species of whale, i.e. the world’s largest animal, the blue whale.

Orca whale with huge dorsal fin

Killer whale
The killer whale is a medium-sized toothed whale that has a length ranging from 4 to 10 metres (13-33 feet) and a weight of between 2.5 and 9 tonnes (5,500 - 19,800 lbs). It often swims in packs of 10-50 animals and has developed a large number of specialised hunting techniques that enable it to attack even the largest whales. Its characteristic dorsal fin can have a height of up to 1.8 metres (6 feet).

The killer whale is one of the fastest of all the whales with a top speed of 60 km/h (38 mph). Killer whales can be seen all along the west coast of Greenland, but not at particular spots, and you will therefore have to have luck on your side if you are to spot a pod of whales.

Blue whale
With a length of up to 33 metres (108 feet) and a weight of 125 - 200 tonnes (275,000 - 440,000 lbs), the blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived on the planet. Its heart is the size of a small car and its spout – i.e. the water particles that are seen when it breathes at the surface – is enormous, up to 10 metres (33 feet) high and can be seen from a great distance.

Blue whales usually travel alone or in pairs. In Greenland blue whales are rarely seen close to the coast, but are regular summer guests in the outer sea areas along Greenland’s west coast. The blue whale is a fully protected species and it is estimated that only around 500 blue whales remain in the North Atlantic.

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