ECOLOGY

Environment any ocean
Organization single, pair, or pod (3–8)
Treasure none

While many cetaceans are docile, the crimson whale is an aggressive hunter that evolved to quickly kill even the largest and most powerful of prey. It sports a full set of deadly teeth that average between 1 and 2 feet in length, and its powerful bite can tear through flesh and crush bone. A typical adult crimson whale is 45 feet long and weighs 30 tons.

Among the largest animals in the world, cetaceans are as varied as the seas in which they make their homes. From the deadly white whale to the often-friendly dolphin, these air-breathing aquatic mammals are perfectly adapted to life on the open ocean, and aside from their need to occasionally surface to breathe air, they are as versatile swimmers as the fish upon which they feed. Cetaceans are split into two categories: toothed whales and baleen whales. Toothed whales eat fish, scooping up whole schools in their wide mouths, while baleen whales filter their tiny-sized food through a comb-like structure. Only toothed whales use echolocation; they possess a lumpy organ on the front of their head called a melon that aids in this ability.

Whalers often hunt cetaceans for their blubber, which whalers render down into oil. Whalers also prize cetaceans' bones and teeth, which artisans use to craft weapons and art objects using a method of carving called scrimshaw.

Despite their massive size, cetaceans can be relatively docile, but predatory species or threatened members of any species make formidable foes in combat, as their size, speed, and relative intelligence make them more of a challenge than most mundane sea creatures.