"The whale's physical presence is overwhelming, overpowering. From time to time, one hears its breathing. At that moment, man realizes that he is approaching a life form beyond the scale of human reckoning; a mysterious presence, embodied in an incredible black cylinder.... Seen in life, it is a vastly impressive spectacle; and also a somewhat frightening one."
There are more than 70 species of large and small whales belonging to the order Cetacea, which comes from a Latin word meaning "whale." The order Cetacea is divided into two suborders: Mysticeti, or baleen whales, and Odontoceti, or toothed whales.
On The Strand of Time Most pictures are taken from Jacques Cousteau's books "Whales" and "The Whale." Also "Whales of the World" by Nigel Bonner. Information from "In The Company of Whales" cd rom.
