Species: Woolly Whale

A solitary male, in the cold northern seas. (Not my Art).

Overview

Woolly Whales are found in the colder seas of Elyria. They are generally white or grey, and are covered in thick fur. This fur traps a layer of water between the skin, which is then heated by the whale's body, acting much like a wet suit. They have a short trunk, which they use to breath like an earth whale's blowhole. They can raise the trunk out of the water, leaving the bulk of their bodies submerged. They are mainly found in colder northern waters, but migrate to warmer waters in the south to give birth to calves. They are gentle giants, but can defend themselves from predators with exceptional strength and speed. Woolly Whales are roughly 12-18 meters long, and can weigh as much as 40,000 kg.

Woolly Whales travel in matriarchal pods of around ten females and one male. The male protects the pod, but the Alpha Female dictates where the pod goes in search of food. Woolly Whales eat small sea creatures such as shrimps, krill, small squids, and fish. Woolly Whales use bubble nets and short high pitched songs to corral schools of fish at the surface to swallow in their huge baleen lined mouths. They are able to siphon through many hundreds of gallons of sea water at a time. Adult Woolly Whales have few predators, but calves are susceptible to larger ocean predators. Woolly Whales are active during the day, and live near the surface of the water. They are capable of diving around 200 meters to find food and gulp it down in their huge maws.

Woolly Whales breed in the northern fall, and gestate over the winter. Younger male Woolly Whales are solitary until they find a pod of females. When a solitary male finds a pod, he must challenge the pod's male. They engage in a song battle, singing beautiful, yet haunting melodies which can carry for many kilometers. The male whose song the females like best, wins the battle, and the loser is driven off from the pod. Come spring, they migrate down to the warmer equatorial waters to birth their calves. A female Woolly Whale gives birth to a single calve once ever few years. The calves are summered in the warm waters of the equator until they are fat enough to survive the colder waters of the north. In the fall, the pods travel back north to feed in the richer waters.

Woolly Whales are a friendly species, and do not shy away from ships, or other creatures unless threatened. Due to their size, they have little fear of smaller beasts and Mann. They have even been known to drive off predators trying to hunt smaller animals in their territory. This behavior is not understood fully, as some believe the Woolly Whale to be altruistic, while others think they are simply driving off predators from their homes.

Breaching Habits.

Woolly Whales are active creatures, and play with each other, much like real life dolphins or Orcas. They can often been seen breaching the surface of the water in small jumps, or even fully launching a third of their large bodies from the water! This behavior is not only play though, as it also helps remove parasites from their fur.

Tail slaps and fin slaps, as well as trunk splashing are common behaviors for a group of playful Woolly Whales. They will often squirt water from their trunks when breaching as well. These behaviors are thought to be a form of communication between the females, which do not sing like the males do.

Singing

Woolly Whale males will sing a hauntingly beautiful song, which can carry over many kilometers. Shore towns up and down the coast can often hear the low mournful songs at night when the air and waves are still. Males sing these songs for various reasons. The first reason is to attract a pod of females which do not have a male yet. They also sing to protect their ranging territories from predators, and to drive out other males. The songs sound very much like real life Humpback Whale singing. The males are the only ones that sing, even though the females are capable as well.

In the fall, male Woolly Whales will "fight" by engaging in song battles. The male with the "best" song will take possession of the pod, and the females will drive the loser away. If the males are two solitary males, they will engage in a bout of pushing and shoving while singing to display their strength in the absence of females and drive the opponent away.

Migration

Woolly Whales migrate to warmer equatorial waters in the spring to give birth to calves. They follow the coastlines, and do not stray more then a few kilometers from shore. During the summer months, they live in the equatorial waters, subsisting off of their fat reserves while the calves nurse and get fatter in order to survive the colder northern waters.

In the late summer and early fall, the whales migrate back north, once again following predictable routes to their favored hunting grounds. During the winter they feast on the plentiful food of the richer cold northern waters.

Biology

The Woolly Whale is a warm blooded mammal. It needs to breath air, which is why it lives close to the surface of the water. They are covered in a thick white or gray fur. The fur is not oily or waxy. It traps a thin layer of water between the fur and the skin, which is then heated up by the blood. This acts as a wet suit which keeps the whales warm in the cold waters of the northern seas. In the warmer waters of the equator, the fur protects their delicate skin from harmful UV rays of the sun.The fur can attract parasites, so the whales breach often to shake loose crustaceans and other unwanted hitchhikers.

Woolly Whales also have a short trunk, which they can use as a snorkel, and to sing their haunting songs. The trunk is a prehensile appendage. They can manipulate some objects with the trunk, as well as use the trunk to cast their bubble nets when hunting. They will also sometimes groom a whale ,with their trunks, who has a bad infestation of barnacles or parasites in its fur, although this behavior is uncommon.

Woolly Whales are also slow breeders. Females can only have one calf, every few years. Males and Females also don't reach breeding maturity until they are at least ten years of age.

Their slow breeding rates are because of their longevity. Woolly Whales can live for upwards of three hundred years! They are large, and have a slow metabolism. Their large hearts beat slower, and use energy more efficiently than smaller animals with shorter lifespans.

Woolly Whales are also diurnal, and can't see very well at night. Their eyes are small for their size, and they can only see as good as the average Mann in clear waters. This causes them to sometimes get lost if the waters are cloudy or muddy. Its rare, but a Woolly Whale can become stranded in a river during a storm or in rough seas. Because they cannot see well at night, most Woolly Whales will rest at the water's surface during the night time. They rest with their trunks raised out of the water to breath.

Suggestions, Questions, and comments welcome!

If you like this idea, and have the Chimera DE, and want to use it (Or you're a curious SBS Dev, and want to use this idea) Please do! I'd love to see the Woolly Whale become a reality within Elyria! I'd be happy to answer any questions regarding the Woolly Whale!

More concept art by my crew member StumpWB!