10 Fascinating Facts About Whales

Hi readers, I’m doing a quick survey LOL. How many of you like whales? Good question, right? I know we all like dogs and horses — check, and cats and lions — check. But how many people actually like whales? Do they ever enter your head space? And what do you know about them? While the whale may not be a popular or exciting animal like the lion or shark. Or considered cute like the dolphin or cat; they are still a very interesting animal species.

Did you know that whales sit atop the food chain? And are important for the health of the marine environment? There are basically two types of whales. The baleen whale and the toothed whale that are further classified into different species. There’s the rorqual whale, bowhead whale, pygmy right, gray whales, toothed whale, sperm whale, dwarf and pygmy sperm whales, beaked whales, narwhal, and the beluga whales, Unfortunately, six out of the 13 species of whales are considered endangered or vulnerable and approximately 300,000 whales are hunted and killed each year. Their meat is highly sought after in some cultures as it is considered to be quite healthy and also a delicacy. Whale meat is also very expensive. Some countries have put a ban on whaling, and trading of whale products. However, a few countries like Norway, Iceland and Japan continue their whale hunts. There are ongoing efforts to increase awareness on the preservation and protection of whales at the national, regional, and international levels.

Here are 10 amazing facts about whales:-

1) Whales don’t sleep — can you imagine that? They do rest, however. They don’t sleep as they remain conscious of their need for oxygen and are always in a state of awareness. So only half of their brain rests at a time.

2) The ocean is in part whale pee. Yep, you read that right. They produce around 166–257 gallons of urine daily.

3) They carry their babies for 9–17 months depending on the species. And they feed their babies’ milk. The texture of which is like toothpaste so that it can travel across the water without evaporating.

4) They have a long lifespan and live well over 100 years. Some can even live up to 200 years. The bowhead whales are said to live the longest.

5) Whales migrate to feed themselves and to maintain their food supply. They also migrate to mate. They are natural wanderers and travel the world without any notable migration pattern.

6) Humpback whales are capable of singing complex songs, and these songs can be heard miles away. Beluga whale sings, chirps and whistles and have flexible necks allowing them to move their heads powerfully.

7) You can tell a whale’s age by the amount of ear wax it has accumulated. The wax is also used to measure their levels of stress. I kid you not! Now what would the whale be stressing over, I wonder?

8) Whales can hold their breath for at least twenty minutes. The humpback whale can hold its breath for up to 90 mins!

9) The blue whale is considered to be the largest whale. They can grow to be 100 feet long and weigh 144 tonnes. To give an idea of the length of 100 feet that would be the size of two cyprus trees, a 10 story high rise building or a Boeing 737 aircraft!! Hear this! Their heart is the size of a sedan. They are truly massive creatures!

10) Killer whales are very social, and like to travel in groups known as pods. They are the top predators of the ocean and are known as the wolves of the sea.

One misconception people have about whales is that they eat people. This is not true. They eat other aquatic life like fish, squid, octopus etc. Did you know that the excrement from whales known as ambergris is used to make perfumes? Amazing or yuck?! A wonderful sight to behold, is the whale jumping out of the water with almost its entire body, then landing in the water on its back. In my opinion, if the lion is the king of the jungle, well, the whale may very well be the king of the sea!

That’s it folks! Thanks for reading. I welcome your feedback and comments. Cheers!

For more of my writings visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5Ue4cmbJguAJ5joH6pY8pA/videos

Reference

1. Owlcation: Fun facts about whales. Retrieved from: https://owlcation.com/stem/fun-facts-about-whales

2. 10 Wonderful Whale Facts. Retrieved from: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/10-wonderful-whale-facts