Whaladon Whaladons ( ) were large sentient mammals that were native to the oceans of Dac . With a civilization totally separate to that of their neighbors , the Mon Calamari and the Quarren , the Whaladons communicated using sing - songs , and lived relatively peaceful lives . The poaching of Whaladons was forbidden by Mon Calamari law , but when the Galactic Empire occupied the planet , they did away with the old policies , and began hunting the mammals . Following the Battle of Endor , Captain Dunwell set up the Whaladon Processing Center , and due to hunting by him and his Aqualish crew , the Whaladons soon found themselves endangered as a species . The rare white hump - back breed of Whaladon was almost totally wiped out , save for Leviathor , leader of the Whaladons . He attempted to rally the aid of the New Republic , and thanks to their efforts , Dunwell was stopped , and his poaching operation disbanded . Over a century later , the Whaladons , along with the other inhabitants of Mon Calamari , fell prey to spores unleashed into the oceans by Sith scientist Vul Isen . Although many Whaladons died , some were successfully evacuated thanks to the efforts of the Galactic Alliance Remnant . Biology and appearance . Whaladons were large , sentient , humpbacked whale - like creatures , and could grow up to the size of a small starship at about 30 meters in length . Cetacean - based mammal s , they had a large , 10 - meter - long horizontal tail fin , which propelled them through Dac ' s depths , and dual pectoral fins for maneuvering . Some Whaladon breeds had three large humps on their backs , and whiter skin than their more common cousins . The underbelly of the Whaladon was scored with ridges that ran parallel to the length of the creature . They also had large mouths , which ran across their snouts , from one pectoral fin to the other . Their eyes , located on either side of the snout , close to the pectoral fins , granted them low - light vision for navigating deep trenches and the ocean depths . In order to breathe , Whaladons had to rise from oceanic depths , and surface . Society and culture . The Whaladons enjoyed sing - songs , and would teach songs that they had accumulated to their younglings . Their songs were recognizable by other sentients , and were a means of identification to them . The songs were also used as a form of communication , and Mon Calamari , such as Gial Ackbar , could understand them . The music came in a variety of forms : folk songs , classic songs , ballets , and operas . These would all be performed by the Whaladons on special occasions . They had separated their culture from that of their neighbors , the Mon Calamari and the Quarren , and were willing to attack their submarines and boats , should the aliens cross their territory . Apart from those transgressions , Whaladons were relatively peaceful , and were regarded as wonders of the deep . They would swim in the deep trenches of the Seascape Mountains , and had to surface for air at least three times a day . For foodstuff , the Whaladons ate plankton , which grew on the sea floor . They also ate schools of minnows for sustenance . History . Volcanic cataclysm . The Whaladons coexisted alongside the Quarren and Mon Calamari for thousands of years , establishing an unofficial embassy in the surrounds of the city Aquarius . Years before the Galactic Civil War , the Whaladons had to face the impending threat of a volcanic eruption that would spell doom for their race . The great white humpbacked Whaladon , Leviathor , helped coordinate the Whaladons , and through his efforts they were able to survive the cataclysm . For this , Leviathor was chosen to be the leader of the Whaladons . The Whaladon Processing Center . Prior to the Imperial presence on Dac , it was highly illegal to hunt and kill Whaladons . When the Empire occupied the planet , however , they did away with the Calamari laws . They set up a Whaladon processing plant in the city of Aquarius , converting the city ' s industry for their own uses . The Imperials were processing Whaladon meat and oil , which prompted the Whaladons to attack ; whether or not the large mammals succeeded in flooding Aquarius is unknown . In 5 ABY , Captain Dunwell set up a Whaladon poaching system on Mon Calamari . His actions caused the Whaladon species to become endangered , but Dunwell expressed no concerns over the matter . He had allies in the Central Committee of Grand Moffs , and received ample business from them , since Whaladon meat was considered a delicacy . The Moffs constantly purchased Whaladon meat to be served at their frequent meetings , but it was reserved only for them ; slaves and stormtroopers were forbidden to eat the meat . Dunwell had the Whaladon Processing Center created , as well as a gargantuan submarine , that would allow him to accelerate his Whaladon hunting endeavors . The Center and the submarine featured large whirlpool generators that would draw Whaladons in from nearby waters , and deposit them into internal chambers . The Whaladons were then skinned by Dunwell ' s Aqualish employees , and chopped into large segments for shipping . The slabs of Whaladon were then taken to the Whaladon Meat Quality Control Division . When they had finished harvesting the meat and blubber from the Whaladons , Dunwell ' s men would consistently deposit all the bones at one location , effectively creating a Whaladon graveyard . As a result of Dunwell ' s poaching , the Whaladons found themselves endangered . Young Whaladons were left motherless and uncared for , and the adult ones found themselves hiding in caves , escaping the wrath of the poachers . More damaging still , without the Whaladons to eat it , plankton was able to grow unfettered , and through photosynthesis , it began to use up Mon Calamari ' s carbon dioxide , potentially damaging the planet ' s ecosystem . Aid from the New Republic . Leviathor realized that something had to be done to save his species , and thus he attempted to contact the city of Aquarius . There , he came across Ackbar and Luke Skywalker , who were on Dac for New Republic business . Ackbar was one of the few Mon Calamari who could understand the Whaladons ' sing - song , which told of their plight , and the poaching operations of Dunwell . Ackbar , disgusted , resolved to help the harried mammals . Meanwhile , Trioculus , a man who sought to wrest the Imperial throne from Ysanne Isard , toured Dunwell ' s facility , inspecting the processing of Whaladon meat . He intended to retrieve the Glove of Darth Vader from Dac ' s depths , and use it against his enemies in the New Republic . Dunwell had apparently located the Glove , and set out with Trioculus to find it , in his new Whaladon hunting submarine . Skywalker and Ackbar began tracking Dunwell ' s sub , hoping to stop his operation . At the same time , Leviathor had been able to round up a group of Whaladons , in the hopes of finding them asylum somewhere safe . Dunwell ' s men on the submarine , however , spotted Leviathor ' s pack , and used the ship ' s whirlpool generators to capture them . Skywalker and Ackbar , horrified , pursued the submarine into the Seascape Mountains , a place thought by Ackbar to have no Whaladon activity . The Glove of Darth Vader was in fact located there , however , this was not known to Skywalker or Ackbar . In the Mountains , they boarded the submarine , and confronted Dunwell . Using his droid , R2 - D2 , Skywalker freed all of the captive Whaladons from their chambers , and set the ship to self - destruct . The Whaladons swam free , and Dunwell perished when his ship exploded . To celebrate , Leviathor and the Whaladons held a sing - song concert at Aquarius , and invited the New Republic staff that had fought for their freedom . They performed water ballet , classical and folk sing - songs , and an opera composed by Leviathor detailing his rise to the position of Whaladon leader . But the celebrations were bittersweet , as Leviathor was now the last of the great white breed of Whaladon . Genocide of Dac . In 137 ABY , Mon Calamari , or Dac as it was now more commonly known , was the target of complete and utter devastation at the hands of Darth Krayt ' s Galactic Empire . At the behest of Darth Wyyrlok , who issued the will of Emperor Krayt , Sith scientist Vul Isen released Viral spore s into Dac ' s currents , and within a matter of days , millions of the planet ' s inhabitants had been wiped out , Whaladons amongst them . During the subsequent evacuation attempt launched by Admiral Gar Stazi of the Galactic Alliance Remnant , a portion of the Whaladon population was evacuated aboard YZ 3000 tanker s . Despite the best efforts of Stazi and his allies , only a portion of Dac ' s overall population was saved from Isen ' s spores . After the defeat of Darth Luft , a number of Whaladons stated their intention to return to the now - flooded Mon Calamari Shipyards . Whaladons in the galaxy . One of the Whaladons still alive during Dunwell ' s poaching raids was Leviathor , known to Ackbar as " Wise One of the Calamarian Seas . " Following a volcanic cataclysm , he was elected leader of the Whaladons . He was incensed by Dunwell ' s actions , and mourned the loss of family and friends . He was constantly hunted by Dunwell ' s Aqualish men , and even encountered the captain ' s gargantuan submarine . He was , however , able to elude capture and death . Realizing that something had to be done to save his species , he sought help at the Domed City of Aquarius . He found it in the form of Luke Skywalker and Ackbar , and with his new allies , he was able to end Dunwell ' s oppressive poaching . Due to their immense size , Whaladons were often used as a yard stick against which something was measured . Large ships were sometimes labeled " Whaladons " due to this . Holographic Whaladons were used for amusement at theme parks , where they were presented as rides for children to enjoy . Seven months after the Battle of Yavin , a hologram of a Whaladon was used as part of an attraction at Hologram Fun World , under the supervision of Baron Administrator Danna Fajji . Children were allowed to " ride " the Whaladon at " Sweetsand Lagoon . " Under the influence of the Nightmare Machine , Zak and Tash Arranda were " swallowed " by the Whaladon , but they were able to escape without injury . Whaladons could also be found on Agomar , at some time prior to the Clone Wars . Behind the scenes . Whaladons were created by Paul and Hollace Davids , for the children ' s book " The Glove of Darth Vader " . They are integral to the plot , and are based on real - world . In " Glove " , the Whaladon hunting industry resembles that of the real world as well , with the book projecting an environmental message about conservation . " Whaladon " would later be used as a colloquial term for something that is large in - universe , as seen in " " .