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Heard of a Herd?
You may have heard of a pod of whales. What about a herd of whales? What's the difference?

  • Gray whales belong to the whale suborder Mysticeti. Instead of teeth, Mysticetes have baleen plates that they use for filter feeding. Groups of Mysticetes are called herds.
  • Whales with teeth belong to the suborder Odontoceti. Groups of toothed whales are called pods.

Courtesy of Audrey Evans, Birch Aquarium

A herd of migrating gray whales off San Diego in March.

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