https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/usage-of-whale-wail-wale
Whale can refer to a person who is impressive in some way (like a whale is in size), such as a gambler who places large bets. The term is used that way by the character Sam "Ace" Rothstein (played by Robert De Niro) in the 1995 Martin Scorsese film Casino, who at one point calls a gambler named K. K. Itchikawa "a whale … who plays thirty-thousand dollars a hand in baccarat."

https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2019/03/13/orca-not-whale/
Additionally, the size of these animals is an important factor to consider. Orcas are the largest of all dolphin species, but compared to their Mysticeti cousins, they're quite small. Orcas can grow to be up to about 32 feet long, while the largest of the baleen whales (the blue whale), can reach a whopping 100 feet. There's another

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/whale-size-comparison-how-big-are-different-whales/
The largest sperm whales can reach up to 68 feet in length and weigh over 174,000 pounds. In contrast, the pygmy sperm whale only reaches a size of 11 feet and around 900 pounds. The dwarf sperm whale, which is the smallest in this family, only reaches around 9 feet and won't grow heavier than 600 pounds.

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/09/killer-whales-vs-pilot-whales/620200/
Getty. September 26, 2021. Filipa Samarra could hear the pilot whales before she could see them. In 2015, out on the choppy waters off of southern Iceland, Samarra and her research team were

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/ocean-giants-the-whales-a-size-comparison/7605/
The Whales: A Size Comparison. March 22, 2012. Whales range in size from the blue whale, the largest animal known to have ever lived on Earth to various pygmy species, such as the pygmy sperm

https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/marine-mammals/what-largest-whale-cetacea-size-comparison-chart
However, regarding the title of the "biggest whale," the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) holds the crown. As the largest animal known to have ever existed on our planet, blue whales can reach lengths of up to 100 feet (approximately 30 meters), dwarfing other marine mammals in sheer size. Gray whales, not pictured, can reach up to 49 feet

https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/marine-mammals/whales
Whales rely heavily on sound for communication, but in this new noisy reality they struggle to have their voices heard. Whale behavior is also harmed by the presence of human noise. Beluga whales were observed vacating a feeding area and swimming 50 miles (80 km) away for several days to avoid an approaching ice-breaker ship.

https://us.whales.org/whales-dolphins/what-are-the-differences-between-whales-dolphins-and-porpoises/
(1) Baleen whales - these are the "great whales" and as their name suggests they all have baleen plates that are used to filter their food (which consists of plankton and small species of fish). (2) Toothed whales (otherwise known as odontocetes and including all species of dolphin and porpoise) - which as you would expect, have teeth, and eat larger prey items, including at times

https://outforia.com/types-of-whales/
The two main types of whales are the baleen whales and the toothed whales. Baleen whales, like the humpback whale, feature large baleen plates in their mouths that allow them to filter feed for krill and plankton. Meanwhile, toothed whales, such as the sperm whale, have teeth that they use for hunting fish and other larger sea creatures.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/whale-facts
Whales. Whales are the largest animals on Earth and they live in every ocean. The massive mammals range from the 600-pound dwarf sperm whale to the colossal blue whale, which can weigh more than

https://oceaninfo.com/compare/whale-vs-dolphin/
Main Differences Between a Whale and a Dolphin. Appearance: Dolphins and whales have different body shapes. Dolphins are leaner with longer beaks, while whales are bulkier-looking. Additionally, all dolphins have relatively pronounced dorsal fins, while most whale species have small or no dorsal fins. Size: Whales are far larger than dolphins.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-05/how-to-identify-species-of-whales/11374430
Key points: Southern right whales have no fins on their backs. They have patches of roughened skin that can look like "a pile of stones" on their heads. Blue whales are the biggest. They are

https://us.whales.org/whales-dolphins/whales/
Whales - meet the different species. There are two types of whale; baleen and toothed. The key difference between them is the way they feed and what they have inside their mouth. Baleen whales have baleen plates, or sheets, which sieve prey from seawater. Toothed whales have teeth and they actively hunt fish, squid and other sea creatures.

https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/marine-animals/whale-vs-dolphin-whats-the-difference
What's the difference between a whale and a dolphin? We take a look at what makes a whale a whale and a dolphin a dolphin.

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/blue-whale-vs-fin-whale-what-are-the-differences/
Blue Whale vs Fin Whale: Size. Blue whales are the largest animals on earth, while fin whales are the second-largest animals on earth. ©Atomic Roderick/Shutterstock.com. The blue whale is the largest animal to have ever lived on earth. These massive animals can measure up to 98 feet, although some reports have the surpassing even 100 feet.

https://animalfanatic.com/whale-size-comparison/
Human Vs Whale Size Comparison. When comparing humans to whales, the differences in size are quite impressive. Even the smallest whales, such as the dwarf sperm whale, are significantly larger than the tallest person alive. The dwarf sperm whale measures about 8 to 8.5 feet long and weighs around 400 pounds, while Sultan Kösen, the tallest

https://www.diffen.com/difference/Dolphin_vs_Whale
Dolphin vs. Whale Feeding. Frigid, arctic waters support some of the largest whale species, such as the humpback and the blue whale. Baleen whales feed only in arctic waters, eating mostly krill, plankton, and other small marine animals. The humpback whales often hunt by forming a ring of bubbles around their prey which then obstructs escape.

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/19/1081931774/orcas-take-down-a-blue-whale-proving-theyre-the-apex-predators-of-the-ocean
The whale was massive. About 70 feet long. And it was fighting back. But the killer whales, which were only about a third as big, were making coordinated attacks and working together to exhaust

https://www.oceanactionhub.org/fin-whale-vs-blue-whale/
The fin whale and the blue whale are both colossal members of the cetacean family, yet they display distinct differences that set them apart. Regarded as two of the largest species in the oceanic realm, these gentle giants rule the marine ecosystems with grace and grandeur. The fin whale stands a

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/blue-whale-vs-humpback-whale/
Depending on age and gender, the average humpback whale ranges in length from 50 to 60 feet long, while the blue whale ranges anywhere from 80 to 100 feet long. In addition, the blue whale weighs an average of 100 to 160 tons, while the humpback whale weighs anywhere from 40 to 100 tons. As you can see, there is some overlap in their weights

https://www.americanoceans.org/facts/shark-vs-whale/
The Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) is the largest fish in the world, growing up to 40 feet in length. Despite its name, the Whale Shark is not a whale, but a shark species. It is a filter feeder, feeding on plankton and small fish. Whale Sharks are found in warm waters worldwide, with a preference for coastal areas.

https://speciesonearth.com/false-killer-whale-vs-pilot-whale/
False Killer Whale: False Killer Whales are larger compared to Pilot Whales. On average, they can reach lengths of 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to 6 meters) and weigh between 1,500 to 2,200 pounds (680 to 1,000 kilograms). Pilot Whale: Pilot Whales, though smaller than False Killer Whales, still exhibit considerable size.

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/gop-whales-big-oil
Rice's whale is but one environmental victim of the prolific and extensive fossil fuel industry's oceanic damage. When Big Oil drills, Big Oil spills. Since the turn of the century, there have been hundreds of oil tanker spills—spills that have released hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into the ocean. When Big Oil spills, wildlife

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/4-ways-whales-show-they-are-highly-intelligent-creatures/ar-AA1n7WOP
Toothed whales include beluga, orca, and sperm whales. Since they have teeth, they hunt for their food, which includes squid, fish, and marine mammals. There are 14 types of baleen whales

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/sperm-whale-vs-blue-whale/
The blue whale is a baleen type of whale, which means it uses a large baleen in which to feed, while the sperm whale has teeth. This means that the sperm whale typically eats fish, squid, sharks, and other creatures, while the blue whale primarily eats krill and the occasional fish. Sperm Whale vs Blue Whale: Lifespan

https://www.kentucky.com/news/nation-world/national/article289496724.html
The heaviest blue whale on record surpassed these measurements, weighing 418,878 pounds in 1947, according to WDC. Her weight was equivalent to about 30 elephants or 2,500 people.

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/nation-world/national/article289555408.html
"The UME involved 690 gray whale strandings, including 347 in the United States, 316 in Mexico, and 27 in Canada. Strandings occurred from Alaska to Mexico along the west coast of North America