Whale Watchers: What Is A Group Of Whales Called? Why?

Whales are gigantic marine animals that humans have always been in awe of.

Although we rarely witness a group of whales in daily life, it is great to know a few facts about whales. Whales are a species that live in a herd.

Although they look like giant fish, they are actually mammals. A herd of whales generally only includes members of the same species.

Whales roam around the ocean using a unique sound called echolocation to communicate and have always fascinated people due to their enormous size. The Antarctic blue whale is known as the largest animal on the planet and is said to weigh as much as 33 elephants.

Whales are warm-blooded creatures that nurse their young and their sound can be heard across long distances.

Imagine the sight of a group of whales. It must be a sight to see! Although whales are seen traveling alone, they also travel in groups.

There are different types of whale species. Each of them exhibits a varied lifestyle too. The social behavior of animals like whales and dolphins is fascinating as it helps provide us with answers about their traveling, hunting, and other group behaviors.

Whale life in general is an interesting topic to learn about. After you have read about the whale family here, why not read some more fun facts articles to answer the questions why do whales breach? And how do whales drink milk underwater?

What is a group of 100 whales called?

Words like gam, herd, and a plump are related to a collective group of whales. Most commonly though, a group of whales is called a pod.

Even though a pod is the most common collective noun for a group of whales, they can be referred to by other names, as mentioned above. A group of whales (called a pod) live together. We can find this same behavior in animals related to whales, like dolphins.

Now that the answer to what a group of whales is called has been explained, let's explore the differences in how a group of whales might travel.

Whales that are smaller in size travel in larger pods, while whales of a larger size travel in smaller pods, mostly consisting of two or three whales. A typical pod can range from anywhere between 2-30 whales, but there is unlikely to be any more than this.

During the mating season, and in areas where there may be lots of food, whales are seen in larger pods.

The Blue whale is the largest known animal in the world. It belongs to the mammalian group of animals and is a baleen whale.

What do you call a group of whales and dolphins?

As we’ve already discussed, a group of whales is called a pod. Similarly, groups of dolphins are also called pods. Dolphins are social mammals that travel and hunt for food together, protecting each other. The pod life is extremely important for dolphins.

When whales or dolphins gather together in their hundreds, they are referred to as super pods. This super pod only lasts for a short period of time and happens during a mating season or in areas where there is a large amount of prey.

After their meetup, the super pod turns into a smaller pod and separates until the next time.

The family of dolphins or whales that live together in a pod can change in composition with time, as they live in fluid social groups. However, it is common to find that some group members develop a strong social bond.

Why is a group of whales called a pod?

A group of whales is commonly referred to as a pod, among other names. Like humans, whales form groups and families through friendship or for other biological reasons. A group such as this may also be called a school or gam.

These mammals and their group behavior can change from species to species. Highly social species may contain hundreds of whales in their school, while less social whale schools may contain a few whales only.

Baleen whales are an example of such whale groups as they tend to travel in smaller numbers. Whales travel in groups as a way to protect each other from being attacked by other marine mammals like killer whales. However, baleen whales are also seen traveling alone, since they have no fear of being attacked.

What do you call a group of large-toothed whale families?

There are two types of whales: one that is toothed, and the other, called baleen. Baleens are larger whales that travel alone or in small groups. Meanwhile, toothed whales travel in large groups called pods.

The toothed whales are seen traveling together in large groups since it helps them to protect themselves. It is also an effective method to hunt for food. Pod identity can be unique for each group. Sometimes the food preferences of the pods can be different. They can also have different sounds to communicate with each other.

What is a group of killer whales called?

Killer whales are a group of whales that belongs to the dolphin family. These are toothed whales. As we already know, toothed whales travel in large groups called a pod, gam, or school. Although the name sounds scary, killer whales are not known to be a threat to humans.

Killer whales are known for their strong family ties and for being very protective over their young ones. In many instances, a mother whale and her child will stay in the same pod for their entire life. But sometimes, the bond may weaken and the child will eventually leave the pod it was born into.

What do you call a group of only female whales?

Female, adult whales are described with the word 'cow'. When cows form a group, it’s also called a pod. This pod may consist of young whales, which are called calves. The calves are protected by their mothers when traveling in such pods.

In order to do this, the female whales will travel together with their children and other female whales will help to protect their young ones from predators. In contrast, the males are more likely to wander alone by themselves.

Depending on the species of the females, the pods can last for a short period of time or for a lifetime. Highly social species are more likely to stay together for a lifetime in groups.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for what is a group of whales called then why not take a look at how do whales sleep? or beluga whale facts?