The Antarctic seas are also home to the largest mammals ---- the whales.
Whales belong to the cetacean family, together with dolphins and porpoises.
Despite their massive sizes, most of the larger species of whale feed on
krill, like the Blue and Humpback, which belong to the Baleen group. Imagine
a 90 ton animal feeding on microscopic organisms! The toothed whales are
smaller, like the Orca (or better known as the killer whale) and Sperm,
which feed on squid, fish and octopuses. The notorious Orca is also known
to prey on the larger species of whale.
During the early 19th century, whales were actively hunted for their blubber, especially the larger species because of their size and consequent commercial value. Some, like the Blue, Humpback and Southern Right whales were brought nearly to extinction. Today whaling activities are monitored by the International Whaling Commission, and the Antarctic region has been declared an international whale sanctuary, although some fishermen still hunt illegally.