Cetacean Quick Facts

Whales and dolphins belong to the Order Cetacea, commonly called cetaceans. In the Philippines, there are 27 species of whales and dolphins belonging to five different families: Balaenopteridae, Delphinidae, Kogiidae, Physeteridae, and Ziphiidae. These species occur in almost all waters of the country, ranging from deep offshore seas and coastal waters to estuarine areas.

There are five species of baleen whales (Suborder MYSTICETI) and 22 species of toothed whales (Suborder ODONTOCETI) in the Philippines.

Baleen whales are filter feeders. They sieve food from the water with their baleen, which are plates made of keratin that resemble a brush.

Toothed whales, as the name implies, are cetaceans that have teeth instead of baleen. These include all other species, such as beaked whales (Ziphiidae), sperm and dwarf sperm whales (Physeteridae and Kogiidae), freshwater dolphins, dolphin species (Delphinidae), and porpoises (Phocoenidae).