Whales

Whales

Whales are huge, warm-blooded, air breathing mammals that live in the sea. There are many different species including the blue whale, killer whale, humpback whale, orca and minke. Learn more about whale conservation, their habitat, migration and other interesting information with our fun whale facts.

Many whales are toothless. They use a plate of comb-like fibre called baleen to filter small crustaceans and other creatures from the water. There are 79 to 84 different species of whale. They came in many different shapes and sizes! A baby whale is called a calf. Whales form groups to look after calves and feed together. These groups are often made up of all female or all male whales. Whales that are found in both Northern and Southern hemisphere never meet or breed together. Their migration is timed so that they are never in breeding areas at the same time. The arched lower lip of a whale can often make it look like it is smiling! However, this isn’t a “real” smile as the blubber in the head of the whale prevents the muscles of the face from reaching the surface. You can tell the age of a whale by looking at the wax plug in its ear. This plug in the ear has a pattern of layers when cut lengthwise that scientists can count to estimate the age of the whale. Whales love to sing! They use this as a call to mates, a way to communicate and also just for fun! After a period of time they get bored of the same whale song and begin to sing a different tune. Sometimes whales make navigation mistakes during migrations. Although they may have made the mistake days before, they don’t realise it until they becoming stranded. Whales support many different types of life. Several creatures, such as barnacles and sea lice, attach themselves to the skin of whales and live there.