What Is a School of Whales Called?

By Staff WriterLast Updated March 25, 2020

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a group or school of whales is called a gam, pod or herd. The term “pod” is also used for cetaceans such as dolphins and killer whales.

Whales live in all the world’s oceans. In spite of living exclusively in the water, whales are air-breathing creatures and are warm-blooded mammals. Whales have a thick layer of fat called blubber that serves as an insulator against the cold waters of the ocean. Some whales, such as blue whales, have a bristle-like structure that they use to strain the water for food. Other whales, such as sperm whales, have teeth.