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Whale Defecation

21 images Created 13 Jul 2014

Photographs of feces, defecation from sperm whales, blue whales, humpback whales, illustrating the potential role that the great whales have on the health of marine ecosystems and carbon balance of the global environment.

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  • This is a portion of defecation from a humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae australis). Defecation like this from calves contributes to the cycling of nutrients from nutrient-rich high latitudes to less nutrient-abundant lower latitudes. This calf’s mother fed primarily in and around Antarctica. She then provided milk to her calf in the relatively warm waters of Tonga, leading eventually to this defecation, thus transporting nutrients from the waters of Antartica to those of Tonga. The fibrous material protruding from the feces is probably baleen, ingested by the baby whale.
    humpback-whale-calf-defecation-tonga...tif
  • This is a portion of defecation from a humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae australis). Defecation like this from calves contributes to the cycling of nutrients from nutrient-rich high latitudes to less nutrient-abundant lower latitudes. This calf’s mother fed primarily in and around Antarctica. She then provided milk to her calf in the relatively warm waters of Tonga, leading eventually to this defecation, thus transporting nutrients from the waters of Antartica to those of Tonga. The defecation smelled remarkably like one would expect poop to smell like.
    humpback-whale-calf-defecation-tonga...tif
  • Close-up view of defecation by an adult female sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). Defecation at the surface is routine behavior for sperm whales. Defecation is an indication that the whale has been feeding successfully.
    sperm-whale-defecation-close-up-2016...tif
  • My friend holding up fresh pygmy blue whale defecation. The brilliant orange-red color of the blue whale poop derives from krill diet of the cetacean.
    ron-leidich-holding-blue-whale-defec...tif
  • Bryde’s whale defecating (Balaenoptera edeni) after coming up from feeding
    brydes-whale-defecating-201502-2100.tif
  • Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera brydei) defecation, photographed in the Indian Ocean a few seconds after the whale passed, leaving a long trail of feces. The orange-red color likely derives from a diet of krill.
    brydes-whale-defecation-balaenoptera...tif
  • This is a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) defecating while hanging in a vertical position.
    sperm-whale-defecating-vertical-2014...tif
  • A large aggregation of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) engaged in social activity. Note the abundance of sloughed off skin in the water, resulting from tactile contact among the whales. Peeling skin is apparent on the individuals in the center of this image. Note also the cloud of defecation. These whales had just emerged from milling around in a gigantic cluster, with many of the whales defecating to such an extent that the water was opaque. This photograph was the winner of the Behaviour: Mammals category of the 53rd Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition in 2017 (#WPY53) organized by the Natural History Museum in London.
    superpod-aggregation-sperm-whales-de...tif
  • Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) defecating while engaged in a massive social gathering comprising hundreds, perhaps thousands, of individuals. Defecation like this is common in sperm whale social gatherings, as is shedding of skin as seen here.
    sperm-whales-defecating-socializing-...tif
  • Fluke-on view of a group of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) socializing. The whales are clustered together head-first, with lots of bio-sonar clicking and rubbing together of their heads and bodies. Mass defecation is often a part of such social activity, with the defecation becoming thick enough to obscure the whales from view, as is the case here. Note the shedding of skin, which is also characteristic of sperm whale socialization.
    sperm-whales-socializing-mass-defeca...tif
  • A dense group of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) that were part of a massive social gathering of hundreds of individuals. As shown here, sperm whales seem to defecate frequently when they are at the surface, especially during intense social activity. The whales' defecation and other bodily excretions imparted an oily consistency to the seawater, as can be seen here, backlit by the low light of the late-afternoon sun. Besides socializing in this manner, the large gathering of sperm whales were also foraging for food in between bouts of surface activity.
    sperm-whales-defecating-socializing-...tif
  • Part of an enormous social gathering comprising hundreds of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) over many square kilometers. This group comprised dozens of individuals that were busy clicking, blowing bubbles, rubbing their bodies against one another, diving to forage for food, and defecating continuously.
    sperm-whale-social-group-physeter-ma...tif
  • Feces from retrieved from a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) female and calf pair. Unsure whether this came from the adult or juvenile whale.
    humpback-whale-feces-defecation-tong...tif
  • Pictured here are ten sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) that were swimming together, mixed in with a larger gathering of whales. I estimate there were between 50 and 100 individuals in total, though it is difficult to be certain given their continual movement and diving. A couple of the whales can be seen defecating, an activity that seems to be a normal part of social interaction at the surface. Sperm whales are also frequently flatulent, as can be seen here.
    sperm-whales-defecating-socializing-...tif
  • A group of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) with one defecating. These whales are all females, and were part of a large gathering, comprising up to perhaps 100 individuals divided among several groups distributed over a large area. Sperm whales seem to defecate often while they are at the surface.
    sperm-whales-defecating-sri-lanka-ph...tif
  • This is blue whale feces, discharged by a whale that had surfaced after feeding on krill in deep water in southern Sri Lanka. The neon red-orange color of the defecation is due to the whale's krill-based diet. The feces dissolve rapidly, as is apparent from the fizzing around the large clumps in this image. Photo taken under permit.
    blue-whale-feces-krill-Balaenoptera-...tif
  • Sperm whales seem to pass gas and defecate a lot when they are at the surface. This is something I have observed consistently across different sperm whale populations. This is the largest quantity of excrement that I've seen from a sperm whale.
    sperm-whale-poop_201104_0724.tif
  • Sperm whales seem to pass gas and defecate a lot when they are at the surface. This is something I have observed consistently across different sperm whale populations. This is the largest quantity of excrement that I've seen from a sperm whale.
    sperm-whale-defecation_201104_0719.tif
  • Male humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) defecating while socializing with two other male humpback whales. Photographed during the winter breeding season in the Kingdom of Tonga.
    humpback-whale-defecation-tonga-2010...tif
  • Feces from an injured humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) encountered during the winter season in the waters around Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga. The humpback whale was entangled in a series of longlines and hooks and most likely died. Bycatch is a serious problem associated with longline fishing. Even whales occasionally fall victim to this indiscriminate fishing practice.
    humpback-whale-feces-defecation-tong...tif
  • Feces from an injured humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) encountered during the winter season in the waters around Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga. The humpback whale was entangled in a series of longlines and hooks and most likely died. Bycatch is a serious problem associated with longline fishing. Even whales occasionally fall victim to this indiscriminate fishing practice.
    humpback-whale-feces-defecation-tong...tif
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