Scientists have put forward the theory that the ancestors of whales were mammals that previously lived on land. The structure of the skeleton of these animals now living in the sea confirms this hypothesis. They do not look like fish because they do not spawn, they do not breathe with gills, their cubs are born fully formed and are fed with mother's milk. What are whales? The size of some representatives of this detachment is impressive. Let's consider them.
The biggest whale
The dimensions of the largest giant, according to some sources, were: a body length of about 34 meters and a weight of 180 tons. Blue, or, as it is also called, according to the classification, belongs to mammalian vertebrates. On average, representatives of this species grow up to 30 meters. They weigh about 150 tons.
The sizes of whales (photo) of other species are more modest. For example, a toothed sperm whale has a body length of about twenty meters, and a killer whale - no more than ten. Dolphins also belong to cetaceans. The size of these mammals is even smaller. The largest dolphin rarely grows more than three meters long.
Many people consider whales to be large fish. In fact, this is an erroneous opinion. Similar in them is only the general structure of the body and habitat. There are significant differences in nervous activity, blood circulation, skeletal structure, and skin. The reproduction of offspring and its feeding is the same as that of land mammals.
Whales: sizes and varieties
Scientists divide the representatives of these mammals into two suborders. They differ significantly in lifestyle and nutrition. One group is another - toothed. The names already contain the characteristics of their way of life.
Baleen whales are peaceful animals. They feed on plankton and molluscs, filtering them out of the water column through whalebone plates. Most of them in adulthood have a body length of more than ten meters. The species features of representatives of this suborder and the way of life differ little.
Toothed whales are predators. Their food is fish and other suborders are more varied. Most representatives have body sizes up to ten meters. The following families are distinguished: oceanic and river dolphins, sperm whales, beaked dolphins. They, in turn, have divisions into subfamilies and genera, depending on the characteristics of the lifestyle and habitat.
Beluga whale
In the suborder of toothed whales, there are representatives that differ in a special skin color. She is white. Hence the name - white whale. Animals belong to the narwhal family. The size of the white whale is up to six meters. The mass of adult males reaches two tons. For comparison: a newborn calf of a blue baleen whale has approximately the same dimensions.
The beluga whale lives up to forty years. Hunts for schooling fish, crustaceans and molluscs. Lives in northern latitudes. Features of the species: a thick layer of epidermis and fat that protects against hypothermia, a “lobed” head and short oval pectoral fins.
The white whale has a specific color not from birth. Cubs are born dark blue. At the age of one year, they brighten and become a grayish tint. And only after three years (more often by the age of five) they acquire a characteristic white color.
Despite the fact that this is a large animal, another representative of cetaceans, the killer whale, can hunt the beluga whale. Polar bears can also pose a threat to them. This happens when beluga whales are trapped in polynyas. dense ice. They cannot stay under water for a long time, as they emerge every two minutes to breathe air.
Blue whale
It's on the planet. Scientists distinguish three types. Two of them: northern and southern - live in different latitudes. The third representative is the pygmy blue whale. Its dimensions are much more modest. An adult reaches only the weight of a cub of its usual counterpart. Dwarfs are quite rare and are found only in the southern seas.
Everything is big in big animals. The size of a whale's heart is comparable to a small car, it can weigh up to 700 kg. This is not surprising, because this organ constantly pumps up to 10 tons of blood. The diameter of the giant's artery is 40 cm, and a child can freely crawl into it. The tongue weighs up to three tons. With it, the whale pushes large volumes of water out of its mouth through its whisker, the area of \u200b\u200bwhich is more than twenty square meters.
Peculiarities
The color of blue whales is actually grey. But when you look at them through the water column, it seems that they have a bluish tint. The sense of smell, taste and vision of these giants are poorly developed. But they hear well. Communication is carried out by transmitting ultrasonic signals, and orientation in space - using echolocation.
Is the blue whale dangerous to humans? The size of these animals is enormous by our standards. However, they cannot eat a person. They have different food preferences. The diameter of the pharynx is only 10 cm. This is enough to pass plankton, small fish, crustaceans and mollusks. The only harm that a blue whale can cause is to accidentally turn over a vessel that will be in close proximity to it when surfacing.
Cetaceans breathe atmospheric air. They must from time to time rise to the surface for the next portion of oxygen. In the normal state, the blue whale dives for 10-15 minutes. When ascending during exhalation, a characteristic fountain of water appears.
and lifestyle
The habitat of whales is extensive. Scientists do not have sufficient capacity to track all their movements. It has been established that, depending on the season, blue whales migrate in search of food and optimal conditions. According to other observations, some of the animals are constantly in the equatorial part of the Pacific Ocean.
It is believed that the lifespan of blue whales can reach hundreds of years. They are loners. Only sometimes they gather in small groups during seasonal migrations. The mother nurses the cubs for at least six months. During the day, a growing "baby", weighing up to ten tons, can drink 600 liters of mother's milk.
Population and commercial catch
Scientists suggest that before the beginning of the active in the waters of the World Ocean, there were at least 250 thousand individuals of the largest animals on the planet. To date, according to the most optimistic forecasts, there are no more than 10 thousand of them left.
What is the value of whales to humans? The body size of these animals is large by commercial standards. From one carcass, whalers received not only meat, but also fat and whalebone. Meat is still popular in Japan, and it is not surprising that the fishery is most active there.
The population of blue whales has decreased significantly. Over the past decades, a large number of adults have been destroyed. Female whales reach sexual maturity at ten years old. Once every two years, they can give offspring. But the situation is such that most of the young animals become a victim of fishing, never reaching their maturity.
Today, blue whales are protected. They are listed in the Red Book. But man and the consequences of his activities associated with pollution environment still pose a serious threat to the entire population.
1st place.
The largest mammal, to date, is recognized Blue whale. Even before the start of active whaling, in the seas and oceans one could meet individuals whose length reached 40 meters and weighed 200 tons. But that was a couple of centuries ago. Now, the thirty-meter whale is considered a real giant. As the experts themselves say: "The whales were crushed."
The whale was nicknamed Blue not at all because he really was that color. In fact, it has a gray-blue color. Simply, if you look at this mammal through the thickness of sea water, it may seem that the whale is blue. Three subspecies of blue whales are known: pygmy, southern and northern. Southern Blue whales are the largest, while pygmy whales are only three meters shorter than them.
2nd place. 
fin whale. It weighs no more than 100 tons. And then, if its habitat is warm seas. By species, they are divided into southern and northern fin whales. The maximum length of the southern fin whale is 27 m, and their northern counterparts are shorter than the "southerners" by 2-3 meters. These are the closest relatives of the Blue whale, which, under certain circumstances, can give birth to joint cubs.
3rd place. 
bowhead whale. It is clear that this is an inhabitant of the icy seas, but this does not prevent him from being the third in the list of the largest whales. Its length is 20 meters, plus or minus two meters. By the way, females are larger than males. And this feature is characteristic of all types of whales. It is noteworthy that among bowhead whales many centenarians who are 70-100 years old. Probably, it is cold waters that slow down the aging process.
4th place. 
Sperm whale. This is the largest toothed whale. Their mass is "small", on average - 50 tons, and the length is about 20 meters. Sperm whales have their own characteristics. Firstly, they do not have a very attractive appearance, compared to their prettier counterparts. Secondly, their ladies of the heart are almost half the size of their gentlemen. Thirdly, this cute mammal can easily swallow a human. And other whales cannot do this at all, because the throat of the same Blue whale is the size of a dessert plate.
5th place. 
6th place. 
southern right whales. They reach a length of 18 meters. Approximately forty percent of the mass of the southern whale is subcutaneous fat - blubber. Due to this circumstance, dead mammals do not drown, but float on the surface of the sea. Life expectancy can reach 70 years.
7th place. 
Gorbach he is a humpback whale. The length of the female is 15 m, and the male is only a meter inferior to her in size. The average weight is 35 tons. This whale has a denser and shorter body. That is, a stocky physique. Thanks to the thickened subcutaneous tissue, they can travel all over the oceans.
8th place.
gray whale. Females can reach a length of 15 m, and males are only half a meter shorter than them. They have a fairly massive skull, with strong jaws. On the lower jaw there is a keel-shaped protrusion with which the whale can plow the bottom of the sea or ocean to search for food. Coloring - gray-brown or black-brown. It is among the gray whales that most of the albinos.
9th place. 
Japanese whale. Medium in size and weight. 15 meters is the maximum length of a female. They have a dark color and a white spot in the abdomen. They love to jump out of the water, although they are considered very slow. They do not like to acquire offspring, and if they do, only near the coast of Japan. Probably. That's why they were called that.
10th place. 
killer whale. This is the killer whale. Males are larger than females. Their length is 12m. This is maximum. They have a one and a half meter dorsal fin and a very attractive appearance. The killer whale is a toothed whale that belongs to the dolphin family. It can easily eat a penguin or a seal. Human, by the way, too.
Representatives of the class of mammals - whales - marine animals that amaze with their impressive size. In Greek, the meaning of the word kitoc is "sea monster", from which the name of this mammal came. At a time when fishermen were just beginning to notice such a large creature as a whale, there were frequent disputes about what it was - a fish or an animal. Surprisingly, the ancestors of all cetaceans are artiodactyl land animals. Although outwardly the whale looks like a fish, but one of its modern ancestors is a hippopotamus. Despite all these facts, disputes continue about who whales are - fish or mammals.
Whale - description and characteristics
The size of the whales exceeds the dimensions of any mammal: the body length of the blue whale reaches twenty-five to thirty-three meters, and the weight is more than one hundred and fifty tons. But there are also smaller, dwarf whales. Their mass does not exceed four tons, and the body length is six meters.
In all cetaceans, the body has the shape of an elongated drop, which provides them with easy gliding in the water column. A large head with a narrow and blunt rostrum allows the whale to cut through the water when swimming. The nostrils are displaced closer to the crown, and the eyes are small relative to the body. Different individuals have differences in the structure of the teeth. Toothed whales have sharp cone-shaped teeth, and baleen whales filter water instead of their usual teeth and thus extract food using bone plates (or whalebone).
The whale skeleton provides special plasticity and the ability to perform maneuvers due to the spongy structure and elasticity of the intervertebral discs. The head passes into the body without cervical interception, towards the tail the body becomes narrower. The mammal turns and slows down with the help of flippers, which have been transformed from pectoral fins. The function of the motor is performed by the tail, which is characterized by a flat shape, extreme flexibility and well-developed muscles. At the end of the tail section are horizontal blades. Many whales use their tail to stabilize their underwater movement.
Hairs and bristles grow only on the muzzles of baleen whales, the body is covered with absolutely smooth and hairless skin. The skin color of the animal can be monophonic, anti-shadow - dark top and light bottom, or spotty. With age, whales can change the color of their skin. Cetaceans lack olfactory receptors, and taste receptors are poorly developed. The whale only distinguishes the taste of salty food, while other mammals have a full set of taste buds. Poor eyesight and frequent myopia are fully compensated by the conjunctival glands. The hearing of a mammal distinguishes sounds in the range from dull noises to ultrasonic frequencies, due to the complex anatomical structure of the inner ear. Under the skin is a large number of nerves, which provides the animal with an excellent sense of touch.
Whales communicate with each other using echolocation. The absence of vocal cords did not prevent the whale from communicating with other individuals by reproducing sounds. The role of a reflector and a sound lens is performed by a layer of fat in the concave bones of the skull. Whales have slow smooth movements, but sometimes their speed can reach forty kilometers an hour.
The body temperature of the whale does not depend on the environment, they are warm-blooded animals. A thick layer of fat protects cetaceans from hypothermia. Huge lungs with well-developed muscles allow animals to spend under water from ten minutes to an hour and a half. Swimming to the surface of the ocean, the whale releases air, the temperature of which is much higher than the surrounding air. That is why, when exhaling, a fountain appears - a sheaf of condensate, and along with it, due to the high power, a trumpet rumble breaks out in some large animals.
Lifespan. How long do whales live?
The question of how long whales live can be answered differently depending on their species. Small animals live up to thirty years, the life of large whales does not exceed fifty years.
The habitat of whales is the oceans. Mammals are scattered over all latitudes, but in cold weather, most migrate to warm waters and live near the coast. These are herd animals, preferring to live in groups with several tens or hundreds of individuals. Whales migrate according to the season. In winter and during the birth period, whales and their females swim to warm waters, and in summer they are in the waters of temperate or high latitudes.
The nutrition of a whale depends on its species. Plankton is preferred by planktophages, and molluscs serve as food for teutophages. Live fish feed on ichthyophages, decomposed organic matter eat detritophages. Killer whales are the only cetaceans that hunt not only for fish, but also for such pinnipeds as seals, penguins and sea lions. Dolphins and their offspring can also become victims of killer whales.
whale species
The largest member of the mammal family is the blue whale. One hundred and fifty tons of weight and a length of thirty meters give the blue whale the right to be considered the largest animal on the planet. The narrow head and slender body allow the mammal to move smoothly under water, cutting through its thickness. The skin has the appearance of a marble stone due to gray spots scattered over the blue body of the whale. The blue whale lives in every ocean and feeds mainly on plankton and small fish. Blue whales prefer to live and move alone. The size of the blue whale attracts poachers and scientists to it.
The blue whale descends to the depths in moments of fear or because of injury. Whalers, using harpoons, measured the maximum depth to which the animal descends - five hundred and forty meters, although, during normal diving, the whale does not fall into the water deeper than one hundred meters. After a deep dive, the mammal makes a series of dives in order to inhale air. The length of the blue whale makes it dive in and out rather slowly. Under water, the animal spends three quarters of its life. The blue whale breeds more slowly than the rest of the cetaceans: cubs are born no more than once every two years. For one birth, only one cub is born, and the gestation period itself is very long.
Animals were almost exterminated in the last century, so now scientists are trying to increase their numbers. Today, the number of blue whales around the planet does not exceed ten thousand individuals. Blue whales are being killed by poachers for their baleen value. It has a rich black-resin color and a triangular shape. The fringe located on the plates of the mustache allows the whale to feed on large crustaceans and small plankton.
The songs of such an animal as the blue whale are considered very depressing. The blue whale lives for about eighty to ninety years, the maximum recorded age of the animal is one hundred and ten years.
Because of the convex hump-shaped fin on the back of one of the representatives of the whales, they called it a humpback. The animal has a shortened body - at least fourteen meters, while its mass is about thirty tons. The humpback whale differs from other species in the form of a variety of skin colors and the presence of several rows of warty leathery growths on the top of its head. The body color of a mammal can vary from brown to dark gray and black, the chest and belly are covered with white spots. The upper part of the fins may be completely black or covered with light spots, the bottom is completely white. The animal has long pectoral fins, the mass of which is a third of the total weight of the whale. Humpback whales have individual growths as well as coloration.
This mammal lives in the waters of all oceans, excluding the regions of Antarctica and the Arctic. The migration of the humpback whale can be both localized and seasonal, depending on the availability of food or the temperature of the ocean water. Animals do not choose certain areas for habitat, but prefer to be near the coast, in shallow water. During the migration period, whales enter deep waters, but usually stay near the coast. At this time, mammals almost do not eat, feeding on reserves of subcutaneous fat. Crustaceans, mollusks and small fish make up the food of the humpback whale in the warm season. Groups of these animals quickly disintegrate. Only mothers with cubs can swim and hunt together for long periods of time.
The humpback whale is known for the sounds it makes. During the breeding season, males make long sounds, reminiscent of melodic songs that attract females. Scientists who became interested in these sounds, through research, were able to determine that the songs of the humpback whale, like human speech, consist of individual words that form into sentences.
The pygmy whale is considered the smallest species of cetaceans. Its mass does not reach three tons, and the length of the body does not exceed six meters. This is the only one of the representatives of the whales, which moves in waves. The dwarf whale has a streamlined body that is gray or black with gray spots. There are no growths on the head of the animal, the pectoral fins are very short, have a rounded shape, and the sickle-shaped dorsal fin does not exceed twenty-five centimeters in height. Unlike the blue one, the pygmy whale has a white baleen with a yellowish tinge.
Scientists provide little information about the lifestyle of this animal, since it is rarely seen. The dwarf whale does not jump out of the water, does not raise its tail fin above its surface. The fountains that he releases when exhaling are not striking in their size and are not accompanied by a rumble. You can distinguish a mammal by light gums and a white spot on the jaw. The pygmy whale swims rather slowly, undulating its body.
The mammal leads a solitary life, but sometimes it can be seen in groups of sei whales or minke whales.
These whales are rarely found in the open ocean, more often they swim in shallow bays. In the warm season, young pygmy whales move to coastal waters. Animals do not migrate long distances. Plankton, crustaceans, and invertebrate marine animals serve as food for dwarf whales. This is the rarest and least numerous species of cetaceans.
One of the representatives of cetacean mammals is the beluga whale. The name of the animal comes from its color. Beluga whale cubs are born with dark blue skin, then it changes to light gray, and adults have a pure white color. The animal is distinguished by a small head with a high forehead. The beluga whale can turn its head, as its cervical vertebrae are not fused. Most whales don't have this option. The animal does not have a dorsal fin, and the small pectoral fins are oval in shape. Because of these features, the name of the mammal is translated from Latin as “wingless dolphin”. Thirty or forty years is how long these whales live.
These whales live in the Arctic latitudes, but migrate seasonally. Beluga whales spend summer and spring near the coast, in places for molting and feeding. During the molting season, whales rub against the sea pebbles in shallow water, thus trying to shed their old skin. Every year, the white whale visits the same places, remembering the place of its birth, where it returns after wintering. In winter, whales live in glaciation zones, breaking through thin ice with their powerful backs. But at times when polynyas are covered with a thick layer of ice, belugas can become trapped in ice. The danger is represented by polar bears and killer whales, for which the white whale can become food. The migration of whales takes place in two groups: in one there are several females with cubs, in the second, adult males. Communication between individuals is carried out with the help of sound signals and fins clapping on the water. During the study, beluga whales were counted more than fifty types of sounds that they make.
Mating of whales takes place on the coast, takes place several times a year. For a female, males can arrange tournament fights. During childbirth, one calf appears, which the female feeds for one and a half to two years.
One of the brightest individuals of cetaceans is the sperm whale. Unlike other whales, sperm whales prefer a herd lifestyle, moving and hunting in groups of hundreds of individuals. Their speed does not allow sperm whales to move quickly in the water column. The sperm whale is known for its ability to dive deep under water and stay at depth for a long time. The high content of fat and liquids in the body of the sperm whale provides him with protection from water pressure. The mammal stores air in the air sac and muscles, which contain a large amount of myoglobin. The animal has in rare cases been the cause of accidents with deep-sea cables. The sperm whale got entangled in the cable with its tail and lower jaw and choked, this was already discovered during the repair of the cable. A sperm whale was recovered off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula, which was entangled in a cable located at a depth of more than two thousand meters. At the same time, the whale uses echolocation, emitting ultrasound, which not only allows it to communicate with other sperm whales, but also scare away dangerous animals. High-frequency signals block the movements of other inhabitants of the ocean, which makes it easier for the sperm whale to hunt them.
This mammal has been exterminated for several centuries, due to which its numbers have declined sharply. In conditions of polluted waters in the ocean and continued fishing, sperm whales are very slowly restoring their population. When wounded and attacked, the animal shows great aggression, so hunting for it comes into contact with great risk. A wounded sperm whale is able to sink a whaling ship along with the entire crew. What does a whale eat? He eats small crustaceans, molluscs, squids, octopuses, small sharks. To grind food, the sperm whale swallows small stones. This whale is the only mammal in whose mouth a person can completely fit. During whaling ship accidents, sperm whales swallowed the whalers.
Many researchers are still arguing about who killer whale is a whale or a dolphin. Despite being called the killer whale in the media and in the daily life of whalers, the killer whale belongs to the dolphins. They confuse this animal with a whale because of the shape of the fin: dolphins have sharp long fins, while those of the killer whale are rounded and wide.
Mating and breeding whales
The whale is a monogamous animal that breeds once every two years. A mammal fully matures by the age of twelve, but it has the opportunity to breed by the age of four. Males mate throughout the whole year, so the mating season is very long. Pregnancy proceeds depending on the type of cetacean and can take from seven to fifteen months. For childbirth, females migrate to warm waters.
As a result of childbirth, one whale appears, which leaves the female tail first. The born cub immediately has the opportunity to move and develop independently, but it keeps for some time near the mother. The whale feeding takes place under water, because whale milk has a high density and high fat content, as a result of which it does not blur in water. After the end of feeding, the cub almost doubles in size. The male accompanies the mother with the kitten during the whole period of feeding.
- man hunted whales for whalebone, fat and bones. Margarine, glycerin and soap were made from fat and lard. Whalebone and bones were used for the production of corsets, figurines, jewelry, dishes;
- in the production of decorative cosmetics, spermaceti, which is located in the head of a whale, is actively used;
- many species of whales are listed in the Red Book, as they were practically exterminated by whalers;
- more than a dozen blue whale skeletons can be seen in various natural museums around the world;
- a trainable whale is a beluga whale. It can be seen in circuses and dolphinariums. The researchers of the ocean floor trained the beluga whale to search for items lost at the bottom, deliver equipment to divers and conduct underwater photography;
- a large amount of literature has been written about different representatives of whales, while mammals act both as helpers to humans and as dangerous predators;
- The names of whales, such as the beluga whale or the sperm whale, refer to some types of sea or land cargo transport.
Most big whale in the world and an incredibly huge mammal living in the waters of our planet - such can, without a doubt, be called a blue whale, which is not at all surprising, because today there are simply no more huge representatives of the sea kingdom. With its size and weight, it can truly surprise. Let's find out how much the largest whale in the world weighs and what are its features.
Blue whale: dimensions and features
In length, an adult can grow up to 34 meters. The weight of the largest whale can reach more than two hundred tons. But even the internal organs of this mammal are incredibly impressive: the weight of the heart can reach up to 700 kg, the tongue weighs as much as 4000 kg. It is worth noting that the weight of the tongue of a mammal is quite comparable to the weight of the Indian. Despite the word "blue" in the name of the animal, its color is rather gray with a bluish tinge. And the animal appears blue when it has to be seen through sea water. Slightly lighter in comparison with the rest of the surface of the body of a mammal are its fins and belly.
The largest whales in the world have a poor sense of smell and the same eyesight, which makes them communicate using sound signals. For the sound of a blue whale to be heard by its “relative”, the message must be at a frequency of at least twenty hertz. This allows blue whales to hear each other not a distance of 800 km. If the mammal does not give out a sound with the necessary power, then it is unlikely to be heard by those to whom the signal is intended. These whales are able to take a considerable amount of water into their mouths - all this is due to the presence of ventral folds.
Another feature of the blue whale is life alone. As a rule, these mammals do not like to form herds. However, sometimes they can gather in small groups (2-3 whales). Larger concentrations of this animal are still possible, but only in those places where there is a lot of food. But even under such circumstances, blue whales keep somewhat apart from each other.
In ordinary life, a blue whale swims in the depths of the sea at a speed of about 25 km / h, but if it is necessary to “run away” from danger, then the speed of movement of this mammal can reach up to 50 km / h. But the movements of this type of animal are rather slow and completely clumsy. These mammals are distinguished from other cetaceans by their lower maneuverability. Despite the fact that there are many of these animals on our planet, their life has not yet been studied enough. However, scientists are absolutely sure that blue whales are diurnal. They were led to this conclusion by the fact that blue whales living off the coast of California do not give out any movements at night.
Where live?
You can meet such whales in both cold and warm waters. According to this factor, mammals are divided into several subspecies - northern, southern and dwarf. The first two species live in cold polar seas, and dwarfs are inhabitants of tropical seas. In any ocean of the world you can meet this representative of cetaceans. There are even opinions that some individuals prefer to live in the equatorial region. However, it is almost impossible to really follow the movements of the largest whale.
Food
The diet of blue whales includes plankton, small fish, crustaceans, namely everything that is available in the place where they live. It is not difficult for a blue whale to swallow at least three tons of food per day. This mammal has no teeth, but there are whiskers, which are a kind of brush or a large sieve. With the help of such a device, the whale is able to filter the water taken into the mouth, delaying food. This huge marine animal cannot eat a person, so the mammal is practically not dangerous for people. But this baleen whale is still capable of harming a person - it can turn over a medium-sized vessel by simply hitting it by accident.
Offspring
Puberty of the female of this mammal comes to ten years. She gives offspring once in two years, and she bears the cub for almost 12 months. The newborn cub has a weight of almost three tons, and in length it can be up to seven meters. A newborn grows very quickly, and, in general, blue whales can live up to a hundred years.
However, not all representatives of this species manage to live to such an age - in our time, their population is destroyed for industrial purposes with incredible high speed. But not only man plays big role in the destruction of this species, the mammal becomes a victim of other inhabitants of the sea. Despite their huge size, a young whale can be attacked by killer whales, which are able to tear the whale apart and eat it. Moreover, killer whales attack in flocks - such a case was recorded, for example, in 1979, when a flock of killer whales added the meat of a young representative of the largest mammals to their diet.
The mysterious underwater world has always attracted me. Small fish scurrying among the reefs, smart dolphins, dangerous sharks, and the kings of the expanses of water - whales. The power and huge size of the whales are simply stunning. Looking at the surface of the water, it is difficult for me to imagine that under it, in the expanses of the ocean, real giants live.
Whale, translated from Greek as "sea monster", it refers to marine mammals. And among them there is a real giant. The blue whale is the largest on earth.
Just imagine its dimensions:
- Weight can reach 170-190 tons.
- The length of the blue whale is 30-34 meters.
- Whales live for about 90 years.
The largest whale feeds on the whalebone. It looks like a brush or a sieve through which plankton and small fish get inside, and the excess is sifted out. The mustache consists of 790 plates, each weighing about 90 kg. Blue whales prefer to be alone. It is very rare to see several whales swimming nearby.
Interesting:
- Whales have poor eyesight and no sense of smell. For them, the main sense is hearing.
- Whales can go without food for ten months, not sleep for up to a hundred days. They can drown while sleeping, so they fall asleep only at the surface of the water.
- A newborn "baby" weighs several tons. Its length is about eight meters. Every day the cub drinks three hundred and fifty liters of milk.
- Whales don't have ears, they hear with their lower jaws.
- Whales do not drink sea water, they get moisture from food.
In the past, whales were hunted for their valuable baleen and blubber. Today, the largest whale is under international protection.
I know where you can see the blue whale in nature. Going to Iceland or Norway, this giant can be seen right from the shore.
