Genesis 1:21: Why is it that only Whales are mentioned and no other specific animal?

Question: I have a question... just been reading Genesis Chapter One and I noticed that in verse 21 Whales are specifically mentioned and no other animal. Why is it that only Whales are mentioned and no other specific animal?

Answer:

The word is for any large sea mammel...but meaning is determined by the context...like a desert mammel (jackel, wolve, etc. Isaiah 13:22). Knowledge has increased since the KJV was trasnalted in 1611. At that time whales, sea monsters and dragons was how they understood large creatures at the time.

(T)o the citizens of Great Britain at the time that the King James Version of the Bible was being translated dragons were a serious topic! One author in doing his research located nearly 200 places in the area at which "dragon" sightings had been reported. The literature of the day contained many references to dragons and similar creatures.In the King James Version of the Bible the Hebrew words that are translated most often as dragon/dragons was "tanniym/tanniyn". [a]

The problem with Bible dictionaries is that the authors are influenced by theistic evolution, non-literal interpretation or personal bias. The other problem is that Baraminologists (creation scientists who work to identify created kinds) has only been recently developed that connects dinasours with known animal kinds. Job 40:15-41:34 says two types dinasours...land type - the behemoth..and...a auqa type - the leviathan...was made with man (40:15a), made with the ox (40:15b), beasts of the field (40:20) and the bird (41:5). Brass and iron are mentioned (40:18). [b], [c]

The Hebrew words "tanniym/tanniyn" is broad enough in scope to cover all types of wild beasts, including those that are extinct, including the plesiosaur, basking shark, giant shelled sea turtle, or oarfish, all can be classified as "tanniym/tanniyn". The author proposes that future translations would be better served by translating it as "wild beast" and not cloud the interpretation by using the name of an animal that is currently living. That the words of the Genesis passages can be interpreted to include all types of animals, known living species and extinct species! Many species have gone extinct in very recent history, many, many more than can be counted, only very rough estimates of the sea and land creatures that have gone extinct are available. [d]

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Notes:

[a] Bible Dragons!
http://www.accuracyingenesis.com/dragon.html

[b] Could Behemoth have been a dinosaur?
http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v15/i2/behemoth.asp

[c] Dinosaurs—Alive After Babel?
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v3/n2/dinosaurs-alive-after-babel

[d] Bible Dragons!