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U
Upwelling: The process of nutrient-rich water being raised upward along the edges of the continental shelf through offshore currents.
V
Ventral : Pertaining to the undersside or lower part of the body.
Ventral Grooves : In some baleen whales, the furrows extending backwards from the chin.
Viviparous Reproduction : Bearing live young that have received nutrients from the mother during development.
W
Wake-riding : Swimming in the frothy wake of a vessel.
Whale : The general term applied to any large cetacean, and a specific one applied to certain smaller ones.
Whalebone : Comb-like plates hanging from the upper jaw of some large whales, used to filter small prey from the water. Otherwise known as baleen.
Whale lice : Small, crab-like parasites that cling to and live upon some species of whale.
Whaling : The intentional hunting and killing of whales for the meat, blubber, oil and other products.
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