Showing posts with label Dolphins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dolphins. Show all posts

Thursday, January 2, 2014

A Whale of a Surprise!

A Whale of a Surprise!

We all know that whales are amazing creatures. Their size coupled with their grace and beauty make them incredible animals to behold. But for all that you do know about whales, there are probably a few things that you don’t. Check out some of these surprising facts about our mammalian marine counterparts.
Surprising Fact #1: Just because it looks like a whale does not mean it is a whale. Yes, the orca, which is more commonly known as the killer whale, actually is not a whale at all- it is a dolphin. The orca is one of the largest species of dolphins measuring 25 feet in length and weighing over 12,000 pounds. Like its more widely known dolphin relatives, the orca is extremely intelligent. Orcas have been observed teaching very sophisticated hunting maneuvers to one another – much to the disappointment of the hunted, of course. And like dolphins, orcas crave social interaction and travel in groups called pods.   In fact, orcas form tight knit intergenerational family units where three or four generations may live together in a traveling pack.
Surprising Fact #2: Whales have big bodies and therefore they must eat big things. Not quite. Though some whales dine on other marine mammals, blue whale eat teeny tiny krill. Yes, krill. Try to picture feeding pieces of tic-tac sized morsels of meat to a 280 pound linebacker. Get the picture? Krill measures a measly 1 to 2 centimeters in length. The blue whale dines at the bottom of the ocean floor. They use a method known as filter feeding to gather its prey. Filter feeding means that the whale opens its mouth very wide and then swims about. Water flows into the whale’s mouth along with the krill. The whale then pushes the water out but the krill gets stuck in the comb-like teeth called baleen.  The whale is left with a mouth full of delicious krill to eat.
Surprising Fact #3: All whales are not gigantic. There is a species of whale known as the dwarf sperm whale that only measures 8.5 in length and weights a mere 550 whale pounds. Comparatively speaking, this is miniscule; the blue whale can grow to a massive 100 feet and weigh 300,000 pounds (150 tons). So this is like comparing a Mack truck to toy car. This petite whale can be found in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
Now you know! We are proud to manufacture a product that celebrates the full-blooded whales and those whales who happen to be a distant cousin.   We hope you continue to share our love and admiration for these incredible creatures. Contact us to learn about our delicious non gmo project verified products.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Facts About Whales That Will Enable You To Impersonate A Marine Biologist As Long As You Refuse To Speak To Anyone Over 6

Eating Whale Tails does not make you a marine biologist. Memorize these facts about whales to satisfy your own curiosity and avoid any embarrassing social gaffes in case you get to talk with a real scientist.
  • Whales with no teeth are called baleen whales. Whales with teeth are called toothed whales. Not everything is complicated.
  • Blowholes are nostrils. They’re located on top of a whale’s head and provide air to the lungs. Some whales can stay deep under water for an hour or longer before they need to get more air.
  • A vapor spout over a whale means they’re breathing out. That fountain is a mix of gas and condensed water.
  • Blubber is a layer of fat under the skin of a whale. It provides energy and insulation. If your doctor has told you that you need to lose weight, these arguments will not be persuasive.
  • Dolphins and porpoises are whales too. Flipper from TV was a bottlenose dolphin.
  • Blue whales are the largest at 100 feet or more, which is about one-third of a football field. Porpoises are the smallest at only four feet.
  • Mother whales are called cows. Newborn whales are called calves. Gestation time varies by species. Sperm whale pregnancies can last for 19 months. The average is 9 to 15 months, and many whales nurse for more than one year.
  • Moby Dick was a sperm whale, the largest species of toothed whales. Their huge snouts contain close to a ton of oil.
  • Different species have very different life spans. Some scientists believe that bowhead whales can live for as long as 200 years. Most species average about 20 to 40 years.
This should be enough whale trivia to impress small children. If one of them catches you using the same fake Latin term to refer to both a dolphin and your carburetor, contact us for an extra bag of Whale Tails to bribe them into silence.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Whale of a Time in Hollywood

"Whale of a Time at  Hollywood Premier of "Dolphin Tale"

Whale Tails Tortilla Chips, which has earned the reputation as "California's Corn Chip with a Conscience", was invited by Warner Brothers Studios to be part of the "Dolphin Tale" premier and day long block party held Saturday September 17 at the Village Theater in Westwood.

 Ric Kraszewski co founder and VP Sales of Whale Tails Tortilla Chips  attended the event with his wife, Terry, and daughter, Heather.  Mr Kraszewski said " I was thrilled to receive the invitation from Ms Wagner at Warner Brothers and did not hesitate to immediately send a truckload of our organic tortilla chips shaped like a whale's tail featuring the artwork of world renowned marine artist Wyland as a contribution to the event. Having played just a small role in raising funds and awareness for  "Winter's" story since 2005 it was thrilling to see the little dolphin's story translated into a heart warming 3D movie by screenwriters  Karen Janszen and Noam Dromi."

Alcon Entertainment with distribution by Warner Brothers had Charles Martin Smith of American Graffiti fame direct "Dolphin Tale" that stars Harry Connick, Jr.  Ashley Judd, Austin Stowell, Nathan Gamble,  Cozi Zuehlsdorff ,Kris Kristofferson, and Academy award winner Morgan Freeman. 

Terry Kraszewski, CEO and Co Founder of Whale Tails Chips, said to have the premier take place on the same day as California's Annual Coastal Cleanup Day was perfect timing by Warner Brothers. "We were able to participate in our annual beach cleanup before heading to Hollywood to walk the Red Carpet. " Terry said the the movie "Dolphin Tale" sends an inspirational message about our connections with our ocean neighbors. "Families are going to love this movie." she added.  David Yates, CEO of Clearwater Aquarium and an executive producer on the movie also in attendance at the premier, echoed Terry's sentiment "The movie is having a tremendous impact, we're already feeling it .. and the film hasn't opened yet." The film will open nation wide on Friday September 23.

Also in attendance was Steve McCulloch, Program Manager of Marine Mammal Research at Harbor Branch Oceanographic. Steve was part of the "Winter" rescue team and recalled the chilly December rescue. "The line was heavily entangled around the base of "Winter's" tail fluke and the blood flow had been cut off. Fortunately for us Clearwater Marine Aquarium on Florida's West Coast had a large above ground pool was perfect for "Winter" and they accepted the injured dolphin."  At Saturday's event Hanger prosthetists Dan Strzempka and Kevin Carroll, the developers of Winter's prosthetic tail were also among the attendees along with patients John Siciliano, Katy Sullivan and Cameron Clapp  and  Hanger clinicians Kevin Carroll and Michael Carroll. Thanks to the innovative prosthetic work of Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics along with the rescue and rehabilitative care of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Winter's story of survival will become an inspiration to people all over the world.

Steve of Harbor Branch Oceanographic and the folks at Clearwater Aquarium couldn't have known at the time that they were creating a movie star. But thanks to the folks at Warner Brothers and Alcon Entertainment, audiences nationwide will soon know the remarkable story of "Winter". She is the star of "Dolphin Tale" and the founders of Whale Tails Tortilla Chips know the film is going to create a new awareness about threats facing marine mammals and what we can do to lessen those threats. The film is also a reminder that if we are willing to "chip in", anything is possible, and our world just might have more happy endings.

About Clearwater Aquarium: The Clearwater Aquarium in Clearwater Florida specializes in marine life rehabilitation. www.seewinter.com/
 


About Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics -- With 670+ patient care centers nationwide, the certified clinicians of Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics provide patients with the latest in orthotic and prosthetic solutions, including microprocessor devices for those with limb loss and neuromuscular technologies for those with paralysis due to stroke, MS and other debilitating conditions.www.hanger.com
 


About HARBOR BRANCH Oceanographic Institution, Inc. HBOI is one of the world's leading nonprofit oceanographic research organizations dedicated to exploration of the earth's oceans, estuaries and coastal regions for the benefit of mankind. www.fau.edu/hboi/
 


About Alcon Entertainment: Alcon Entertainment, LLC is an American film production company, founded in 1997 by film producers Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove. For more information on Warner Brothers and to view the movie's trailer visit http://dolphintalemovie.warnerbros.com
 


About Whale Tails Tortilla Chips: Whale Tails Tortilla Chips is America's fastest growing organic,non gmo, gluten free tortilla chip company on a mission to educate that food choices effect not only our personal health but also that of our marine environment. Whale Tails Tortilla Chips recent partnership with the Wyland Foundation will help to provide the tools children need to be good stewards of our oceans. Available at Whole Foods Markets and other natural food stores in California. Learn more at http://www.whaletailschips.com