Understanding the “basic” whale will help you identify and sketch whales in the field. To help you do this, study the whale form below the water. Some portion of this form is exposed when the whale surfaces. To help you understand the whale structure, we will draw four baleen whales found of the California coast. By comparing the similarities and differences between these whales, you can get an idea of the typical whale form and where to look for differences between species. From top to bottom the species being illustrated are the Minke, Blue, Humpback, and Gray Whales.
Click on the first image to start a step-by-step side-show.

Whale bodies taper at the front and back. Head shapes are variable. The taper in the tail starts near the dorsal fin and slope more on the top than the bottom. The taper is gradual in most species, but in the Blue Whale, the tail stalk remains thick for most of its length, then suddenly snaps to the tail: thick, thick, thick, thin! Note the sharp face of the Minke, the scooped throat of the Humpback, and the blunt face of the gray.

Each whale also has its own nuances in the shape of the dorsal fins or other structures. The dorsal fin of the Minke is a tall crescent, that of the humpback is a sloping “mesa”, the Blue a smaller crescent and the Gray, a bump followed by a “ridge” of knuckles. Also note the Humpback’s warty head and “Kirk Douglass Chin”.