Do Whales Die Of Old Age? Curious Marine Mammals Facts For Kids!

Whales are magnificent animals who live in the open oceans.

They are cetaceans and belong to the order Artiodactyla and family Delphinidae. There are various types of whales, including around 90 species found in the oceans.

From apex predators (killer whales) to the biggest animals on Earth (blue whales), they are magnificent as well as fascinating. In this article, we shall be discussing all the problems that these whales face and the events that can sometimes lead to their deaths.

We shall also be discussing whether whales only die of old age. Keep reading to find out more!

If you like reading such interesting fun fact articles, then why not read our articles on whale facts and learn whether whales have hair.

How do whales usually die?

Whales are cetaceans who live in the oceans. There are different types of whales present in the oceans. Some are blue whales, humpback whales, killer whales or orcas, beluga whales and bowhead whales. There are lots of other whales too.

Whales are animals who have a long lifespan and can live from 80-90 years. Whales sometimes die of age. Sometimes, predators hunt them down, and other times, they are killed in accidents.

Whales are magnificent animals of the deep sea. These marine animals are aquatic mammals that are huge in size. They roam the ocean both alone and in groups.

Now before finding out how they typically pass away, let us first learn how long they live! Whales generally enjoy a long lifespan. In research, it is found that killer whale species live up to the age of 80!

They are natural predators of the deep sea and hunt aquatic animals of almost all sizes. The blue whale, known as the biggest animal on Earth, has a lifespan of around 80-90 years, which is very long.

The whale species that has the highest life expectancy is the bowhead whale. Bowhead whales have been found that have an age of around 130 years! It is believed that these whales can live up to 200 years old!

These are the lifespan ranges of some famous whales; now we know when they die of old age. But do all whales only die of age? Absolutely not!

Some whales die of age, some get hunted down by other animals, some have accidents and others get killed by human equipment. Whales may be huge in size but that doesn't stop predators from hunting them.

Orca whales are apex predators of the ocean who can take down any marine animal, even the mighty blue whale. Orcas hunt in groups and are highly skilled in nature. Smaller species of whales also get killed by sharks.

Dead whale carcass floats in the ocean and tiger sharks can be seen eating their flesh. They also face accidents and the most problematic one is becoming beached on a seashore.

Many people have seen humpbacks on beaches. This is a very bad situation because a beached whale can die if not pushed back to the ocean. Nowadays, there are several helplines for beached whales.

Humans are also one of their causes of death. It is commonly seen that whales die after getting stuck in huge fishing nets.

Even if they manage to free themselves, the nets get attached to their fins and stay there for ages. Ships also hit whales and kill them on occasion. In this way, there are many natural causes and human causes of death for whales.

What happens to whales when they get old?

Every animal species in this world gives birth, ages with time, gets old and then finally dies. The same thing also happens with whales as well, though they have a long lifespan. When whales get old in the natural world, they eventually die, and after that, their body or carcass provides food to a lot of other sea creatures.

Whales who naturally die of old age, and even the ones who are hunted down, provide food to scavengers and lots of bacteria that live in the ocean. After dying, a whale's body floats on the water's surface, and during that time, lots of scavenger fish and sea birds assemble and feed on their flesh.

After that, a whale carcass will eventually sink to the seafloor. A whale's body is so big that it easily provides food to bacteria and other bottom dwellers.

These creatures can feast upon a dead whale for a very long time. It takes a lot of time for bacteria and fungi to completely decompose a whales' carcass.

Do whales suffocate themselves?

Many people have this question about whether cetaceans like whales suffocate when they die. The answer to this question is actually a bit complicated.

Suffocation can happen in different ways, especially in whales. Whales are mammals and need air for breathing, so they don't go to the very depths of the ocean as they can't get air. If they cannot get back to the surface in time then this can cause suffocation and might lead to death.

Cetaceans like whales might be marine animals, but they always need air for breathing. If they fail to get air, it might lead to suffocation.

Whales are huge animals and need a lot of oxygen to make their bodies function properly. During some incidents, whales fail to get the air that they need and suffocate to death.

They are aquatic animals and typically don't drown in the open ocean; where they suffocate to death is near land. Whales sometimes end up on beaches and face lots of difficulties there. Because of their extreme weight, they end up crushing their own internal organs, which is fatal.

Moreover, during tides when the water level rises, water comes over their blowhole and obstructs air, which leads to suffocation. Even worse, whales have thick blubber that keeps them warm in the ocean.

When they come to land, that very blubber makes their bodies overheat and that can also take their lives. As you can see, there are several causes behind whale deaths.

Can whales drown?

Whales swim freely in the ocean and come to the surface after an interval of time to breathe. A normal healthy whale should never drown. Whales only drown in unusual cases.

Whales are expert swimmers so it is not possible for a whale to drown in open water. This particular cause of death happens when they have accidents.

When whales accidentally end up on shore, they succumb to their own weight and also due to overheating. During high tides, water blocks their breathing hole and that suffocates them to death.

In the ocean, a whale will drown if it tangles itself in huge nets. So you could say that whales naturally don't drown to death; however, a dead whale body would sink into the ocean after some time to support the food chain at the bottom of the ocean.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked discovering whether whales can drown, then why not take at our articles on nine amazing facts about snake skin or the smallest snake.