Cryptid whale Another argued hypothesis is that that pod was part of an inbred population, which led to the mutation. Another possibility is that Quoy and Gaimard observed specimens which were neither deformed nor members of an unknown species or population, but rather mistaken identification of a pair of beaked whales that, by perspective, appeared to be one single creature. The high-finned sperm whale, or the high-finned cachalot, is an alleged variant or relative of the known sperm whale, "Physeter macrocephalus", with an unusually tall dorsal fin from the North Atlantic. The physician Sir Robert Sibbald, in 1687, described an alleged stranded
Bowhead whale organ provides a mechanism of cooling for the whale (which is normally protected from the cold Arctic waters by or more of fat). During physical exertion, the whale must cool itself to prevent hyperthermia (and ultimately brain damage). It is believed that this organ becomes engorged with blood, causing the whale to open its mouth to allow cold seawater to flow over the organ, thus cooling the blood. Bowhead whales are not social animals, typically travelling alone or in small pods of up to 6. They are able to dive and remain submerged underwater for up to an hour. The