Question 1

Which black-and-white whale, a top predator of the oceans, is also known as the orca?

Accepted Answer

Killer whale. Orcas earned the name killer whale from sailors who saw them hunting other whales, and they are in fact the largest members of the dolphin family.

Question 2

What is the name of the blowing hole on top of a whale's head, used for breathing?

Accepted Answer

Blowhole. Whales surface to breathe through their blowhole, which is effectively a nostril that has migrated to the top of the head.

Question 3

In Disney's Pinocchio, what is the name of the giant whale that swallows Geppetto?

Accepted Answer

Monstro. Monstro is the monstrous whale of Disney's Pinocchio, who swallows Geppetto and his little boat while the old woodcarver is out searching for his lost son.

Question 4

Which whale has a long spiralled tusk and is nicknamed the unicorn of the sea?

Accepted Answer

Narwhal. The narwhal's spiralled tusk is really an enormously elongated tooth, which is why it earned the nickname unicorn of the sea.

Question 5

Which international body, founded in 1946, introduced a global moratorium on commercial whaling that took effect in the 1980s?

Accepted Answer

International Whaling Commission. The International Whaling Commission was set up to regulate whaling and conserve whale stocks, and its moratorium on commercial whaling remains in place.

Question 6

What is the name of the whaleship, sunk by a sperm whale in 1820, whose story inspired Moby-Dick?

Accepted Answer

Essex. The Essex was rammed and sunk by a sperm whale in the Pacific, and the survivors' ordeal in open boats inspired Herman Melville's Moby-Dick.

Question 7

Which species of whale, found in Arctic waters, is thought to be among the longest-lived mammals, with some individuals living over 200 years?

Accepted Answer

Bowhead whale. Bowhead whales have been found with old harpoon tips embedded in their blubber, evidence of their extraordinary lifespans.

Question 8

Which large whale, hunted nearly to extinction in the North Atlantic and so named because it was the 'right' one to hunt, has callosities on its head?

Accepted Answer

Right whale. Right whales were slow, floated when killed and yielded plenty of oil and baleen, making them the 'right' whale for whalers to hunt.

Question 9

Which extinct early whale, whose name means 'king lizard', was mistakenly thought to be a reptile when first described?

Accepted Answer

Basilosaurus. Basilosaurus was in fact an early whale, but its name, meaning 'king lizard', stuck despite the mistaken reptile identification.

Question 10

At roughly what frequency, in hertz, does the lone whale nicknamed 'the loneliest whale in the world' call?

Accepted Answer

52. The loneliest whale's calls sit at a higher frequency than the usual calls of blue and fin whales, which is why it is thought to be so isolated.

🧠 Whales Quiz

Whales Quiz — Questions and Answers

Whales

1easyWhich black-and-white whale, a top predator of the oceans, is also known as the orca?

2easyWhat is the name of the blowing hole on top of a whale's head, used for breathing?

3easyIn Disney's Pinocchio, what is the name of the giant whale that swallows Geppetto?

4easyWhich whale has a long spiralled tusk and is nicknamed the unicorn of the sea?

5mediumWhich international body, founded in 1946, introduced a global moratorium on commercial whaling that took effect in the 1980s?

6mediumWhat is the name of the whaleship, sunk by a sperm whale in 1820, whose story inspired Moby-Dick?

7mediumWhich species of whale, found in Arctic waters, is thought to be among the longest-lived mammals, with some individuals living over 200 years?

8mediumWhich large whale, hunted nearly to extinction in the North Atlantic and so named because it was the 'right' one to hunt, has callosities on its head?

9hardWhich extinct early whale, whose name means 'king lizard', was mistakenly thought to be a reptile when first described?

10hardAt roughly what frequency, in hertz, does the lone whale nicknamed 'the loneliest whale in the world' call?

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