Cetacea and two (external) limbs that are modified into flippers. Though not as flexible or agile as seals, cetaceans can swim very quickly, with the killer whale able to travel at in short bursts and the fin whale able to cruise at . Dolphins are able to make very tight turns while swimming at high speeds. The hindlimbs of cetaceans are internal, and are thought to be vestigial. Baleen whales have short hairs on their mouth, unlike the toothed whales. Cetaceans have well-developed senses—their eyesight and hearing are adapted for both air and water, and baleen whales have a tactile system
Hearing range clear how sound is propagated to the ear, but some studies strongly suggest that sound is channeled to the ear by tissues in the area of the lower jaw. One group of whales, the Odontocetes (toothed whales), use echolocation to determine the position of objects such as prey. The toothed whales are also unusual in that the ears are separated from the skull and placed well apart, which assists them with localizing sounds, an important element for echolocation. Studies have found there to be two different types of cochlea in the dolphin population. Type I has been found in the