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Whale Facts

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One of the largest mammals to rule the seas and also the biggest and heaviest in the earth is the Whale. There are several species of whales, and here are some of the most fascinating facts about this sea dwelling fish like bodied mammal, that has an enormous size.

Below are some of the facts about whales:

  • The largest and heaviest whale is the blue whale. It may grow up to 90 feet in length, and can be as heavy as 24 elephants which is almost 1.5 ton.
  • Whales can sing songs in their own way by making sounds in various pitches. The Male Humpback whale which is found in the seas of the US can sing complex songs near the breeding area in the winters in Hawaii and some other places. The songs are highly audible through miles and may last for 20 minutes.
  • Some whale species live a long life. The bowhead whale can live more than 200 years and is found in the US waters. The killer whale is found in various parts of the world, and can live for more than 100 years.
  • Whales are sociable amongst themselves. The killer whales are very social and form groups which centers around the mother. They travel in families.
  • The Beluga whales are good in communication and have flexible necks. They can move their heads, and communicate with chirping whistling and clicking sounds.
  • The Grey whales are great migrators. They travel long distances annually for migration and travel up to 10000 miles to and from.
  • The smallest Baleen whale is the Minke whale. It’s found in the seas and oceans of North America.
  • The north Atlantic right whales are a threat to sea vessels for collisions, because they float on the water surface and have a great buoyancy. They float on the water surface to strain the sea water through their baleen plates, and collects small sea organisms from the water for feeding. They have long baleen plates for straining the water.
  • The spermaceti organ in Sperm whales is a great feature in them which also drive the whale towards near extinction. The function of this organ, located in their brain, is to understand the location of ships on water through echolocation system. These whales have a blubber and secretes a unique oil from the spermaceti organ, which the commercial whalers hunted for and killed these whales.
  • The deepest dive recorded by a whale was in 2014, when the Cuvier’s beaked whale dove to 1.9 miles under water, and also stayed at that level for more than 2 hours.