Whales: 21 Facts You Won't Believe!

Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason
Nov 19, 2022 By Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason
Originally Published on Aug 06, 2021
Edited by Jacob Fitzbright
Whales facts like they sing are fascinating
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 1.4 Min

Whales are astonishing mammals and are found in all of our world's oceans. Even though whales are purely aquatic they breathe air and are warm-blooded animals like humans. Whale's bodies are adapted to survive in icy waters and enable them to go deep underwater. Whales have a thick layer of fat tissue called blubber which acts as insulation from the cold.

Whales can be broadly classified into two categories. These categories are baleen whales and toothed whales. Baleen whales have baleens instead of teeth. Baleen plates are bristle-like plates made of keratin. Baleen Plates filter water out but retain larger food. Baleen plates in some whales can be as large as 16.4 ft (5 m). Whales like the humpback whales, gray whales, blue whales, bowhead whales, North Atlantic right whales, etc fall under this baleen whales category. The other category of whales is the toothed whales. As the name suggests they have teeth. Common toothed whales are killer whales, beluga whales, sperm whales.

All of these different species of whales have different habitats and breeding grounds and rituals and food habits. Whales, dolphins, and porpoises belong to the order called Cetartiodactyla.

Although whales are found in all the oceans, single or a group of whales or school of whales, they prefer waters of the colder Northern and Southern hemispheres. They migrate towards the Equator during gestation where their favorite feeding grounds reside. Whales such as humpback whales and blue whales are known to travel thousands of miles without even feeding. Whales in the southern hemisphere migrate upwards and whales in the northern hemisphere migrate downwards.

You may also check out leopard seal facts and fennec fox facts from Kidadl.
 

Whale Facts

What Did They Prey On?

Krill, plankton, fish, smaller aquatic mammals

What Type of Animal were they?

Carnivore

Average Litter Size?

1

How Much Did They Weigh?

297-418878 lb (134.7-190,000 kg)

What habitat Do they Live In?

oceans, sea

Where Do They Live?

all the world’s oceans

How Long Were They?

80-100 ft (24.4-30.5 m)

How Tall Were They?

8.5-102 ft (2.6 -31.1 m)

Class

Mammalia

Genus

Dependent on the species

Family

Cetacea

Scientific Name

Mysticeti/Odontoceti

What Do They Look Like?

Gray, blue, black, white

Skin Type

Smooth

What Are Their Main Threats?

humans

What is their Conservation Status?

Endangered
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Written by Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason

Bachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.

Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason picture

Adekunle Olanrewaju JasonBachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.

With over 3+ years of professional experience, Olanrewaju is a certified SEO Specialist and Content Writer. He holds a BSc in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos. Throughout his dynamic career, Olanrewaju has successfully taken on various roles with startups and established organizations. He has served as a Technical Writer, Blogger, SEO Specialist, Social Media Manager, and Digital Marketing Manager. Known for his hardworking nature and insightful approach, Olanrewaju is dedicated to continuous learning and improvement.
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