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Dolphin Anatomy | Cetacean Parasites | Cetacean Nomenclature | Dolphin or Porpoise? | Whale Baleen | Cetacean Teeth | Cetaceans and the Bends | Whale Scars | Scientists at Work | Cetacean Families | Cetacean Family Tree

The Hostess with the Mostest: Parasites

It is true that almost all wild animals have parasites, and whales and dolphins are no exception. Parasites are organisms that live on and feed on other organisms. Cetaceans may have parasites on the inside of their bodies as well as on the surface of their skin. Barnacles, a type of external parasite, are easy to see on many whales and on some dolphins. Barnacles are most abundant on slow-moving gray and humpback whales. One humpback whale was reported to have been carrying over 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms) of barnacles!

Many species of whales and a few dolphin species also have whale lice, which are crustaceans related to sand fleas. The lice live in the folds and creases along a whale's body or between the barnacles.

When a whale breaches, it may be trying to shake off the pests. While some lice may be shaken off, barnacles dig into the whale's skin almost 1/2 inch (1 centimeter), and not even a big breach can shake them loose.

Heyning, John E. Masters of the Ocean Realm: Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises. (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1995), p. 19.


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