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Whales are the largest animals on our planet. The largest representative of cetaceans is the blue whale, its body length can reach 33 meters and weight 120 tons. Externally, whales are very similar to fish, but they are not fish, but mammals that live in the water. It is believed that the ancestors of whales were land animals from the order Artiodactyls, which switched to an aquatic lifestyle approximately 50 million years ago.

Since whales are mammals, they are characterized by the main characteristics of all animals - they are warm-blooded, that is, they have a constant body temperature, breathe atmospheric air with the help of their lungs and feed their young with milk.

Whales have smooth skin without hair. This body surface provides whales with better gliding in the water. Whales have a thick layer of fat under their skin that keeps whales from freezing in cold water. The head of whales is large - in the blue whale its length reaches almost a third in relation to the entire length of the body. The eyes are very small and there are no ears, but whales are not deaf - behind the eyes they have small auditory openings leading to eardrums. Acute hearing is important for whales, as it allows them to navigate well in the water.

Whales belong to the order Cetaceans. This order is divided into three suborders - toothed whales, baleen whales and ancient whales (ancient whales are completely extinct).

Spreading

Whales live in all oceans and some seas. Some whales prefer the cold waters of the polar seas (bowhead whales), others are more thermophilic, and there are those that can live in both cold and warm waters (sperm whales and killer whales).

Nutrition

The feeding methods of whales are different and depend on which suborder the whale belongs to - toothed or baleen.

Toothed whales have sharp teeth that allow them to successfully hunt large squid and large fish. The killer whale can hunt not only fish, but also seals, birds and other marine life.

Baleen whales do not have teeth, but have special whiskers located on the upper jaw. Through these special plates, whales filter water and extract plankton from it - small crustaceans, which are the main source of food for baleen whales. Some baleen whales feed on small schooling fish, filtering them out of the water, just like plankton.

Lifestyle

A female whale usually gives birth to one calf every two years. He is well developed and can swim immediately. For the first few months, the baby whale feeds on its mother's milk and grows very quickly. The milk of a female whale is thick and nutritious, its fat content reaches 54%.

A whale is considered an adult at about three years of age, but its body can increase in size until about 12 years of age.

Brief information about whales.

It lives in water and has a fish-like body outline, then why is it not considered a fish?

Because a whale is a marine mammal that descends from earthly ancestors. Over the course of many millennia spent in the water, whales began to resemble fish in shape, but their body structure and lifestyle remained similar to land animals.

For example, a whale's fins have an internal structure that resembles a hand with five fingers. On the body of some whales there are even bones where the hind legs should be! But the most important difference between whales and fish is that, like all other mammals, whales feed their young with mother's milk. These babies do not hatch from eggs or eggs, but are born alive. And for some time after birth, the baby whale remains close to its mother, who takes care of it.

Since all mammals have warm blood, and the whale does not have fur to keep it warm in icy water, it instead has blubber, which is a layer of subcutaneous tissue filled with fat that retains heat as well as a fur coat.

And whales breathe differently than fish. Instead of gills, they have lungs into which they draw air through two nostrils located at the top of their heads. When whales dive underwater, these nostrils close with small valves to keep water out. Every five to ten minutes the whale rises to the surface of the water to take a breath. First of all, he noisily spews out exhaust air through his nostrils. As a result of this, the very “fountain” that is always drawn in pictures about whales appears. Then he takes a deep breath of fresh air into his lungs and dives again to continue moving underwater.

Which whale is the biggest?

The largest whale is at the same time the largest animal in the world. This is a blue whale - its length can exceed 30 meters, and its weight reaches 125 tons.

It can be found in any seas, but most often it is found in the Pacific Ocean. It belongs to the group of toothless whales (the other group is called toothed whales).

It is quite difficult to imagine that the largest animal in the world can live without teeth. How do they do this? In their mouth they have a device consisting of hundreds of horny plates called baleen. They grow on the roof of the mouth (the top of the mouth) and form something like a sieve.

The blue whale feeds in the following way: with its mouth wide open, it quickly swims through an accumulation of prey, which consists mainly of small mollusks, shrimp and fish. Closing his mouth, he forcefully pushes water out of it. The water is filtered through the whalebone, but the prey remains. The whale's mouth resembles a huge container. And the length of his head is about a third of the length of his body.

Among the toothed whales, the largest are sperm whales. They have a huge head and reach 20 meters in length. The killer whale, or killer whale (actually a large dolphin), is the only cetacean that feeds on other warm-blooded animals. The killer whale is about 9 meters long, and it easily overtakes seals. Schools of killer whales even attack large whales.

Because whales live in water and have fish-like bodies, we often compare them to fish. But their skeletal structure, circulatory system and brain are not at all similar to fish.

What can you get from whales?

At one time whaling was very important. Now, to most of us, the very idea of ​​whale hunting may seem a little strange. What good can we get from these enormous creatures?

But it turns out that the amount of valuable products obtained from whale hunting is very large. Thus, excellent fat is obtained from whale blubber (fat-containing subcutaneous tissue). This fat is used for lamps, and it is also used in making soap.

Many whales have very tasty meat. Their bones are used to make fertilizer. Spermaceti, or fat, which is found in the head cavity, is obtained from sperm whales. Spermaceti is used to make ointments, cosmetics and suppositories.

Ambergris is also obtained from sperm whales, a very valuable substance produced in their intestines, which is used in the manufacture of perfumes. The teeth of the sperm whale and the tusk of the narwhal are very valuable bones, comparable to ivory. And from the skin of a white whale they produce something like leather.

Did you know that all cetaceans are mammals? Their ancestors once lived on land. They still have fins that look like five-fingered hands. But living in water for many thousands of years, they adapted to such a life.

If a whale lives in water and has a fish-like body shape, then why is it not considered a fish?

Because a whale is a marine mammal that descends from earthly ancestors. Over the course of many millennia spent in the water, whales began to resemble fish in shape, but their body structure and lifestyle remained similar to land animals.

For example, a whale's fins have an internal structure that resembles a hand with five fingers. On the body of some whales there are even bones where the hind legs should be! But the most important difference between whales and fish is that, like all other mammals, whales feed their young with mother's milk. These babies do not hatch from eggs or eggs, but are born alive. And for some time after birth, the baby whale remains close to its mother, who takes care of it.

Since all mammals have warm blood, and the whale does not have fur to keep it warm in icy water, it instead has blubber, which is a layer of subcutaneous tissue filled with fat that retains heat as well as a fur coat.

And whales breathe differently than fish. Instead of gills, they have lungs into which they draw air through two nostrils located at the top of their heads. When whales dive underwater, these nostrils close with small valves to keep water out. Every five to ten minutes the whale rises to the surface of the water to take a breath. First of all, he noisily spews out exhaust air through his nostrils. As a result of this, the very “fountain” that is always drawn in pictures about whales appears. Then he takes a deep breath of fresh air into his lungs and dives again to continue moving underwater.

Why does a whale have a fountain?

Whales are not fish, but mammals. They are warm-blooded creatures, their young are born by live birth, rather than hatching from eggs. Baby whales feed on their mother's milk, just like other mammals.

But the ancestors of whales, like all other mammals, lived on land. Therefore, whales had to adapt to living conditions in the water. This means that over millions of years, changes occurred in their bodies that gave them the opportunity to live in a different environment.

Since whales do not have gills, they breathe through lungs, and their respiratory system has undergone the most changes during evolution. Previously, their nostrils were on the front of the head, then they gradually moved upward. They now form one or two breathing holes that make it easier to obtain oxygen at the surface of the water.

Underwater, the breathing holes are closed by two small valves, and since the air passage is not connected to the mouth, there is no danger of water entering the lungs.

Whales usually come to the surface for air every 5-10 minutes, but sometimes they can stay underwater for 45 minutes! Having emerged to the surface of the water, the whale immediately releases the used air from its lungs. When he does this, a loud noise is heard that can be heard over a considerable distance. What does a whale fountain consist of? This is not water, but simply exhaust air and water vapor.

To completely change the air in the lungs, the whale blows a fountain several times, after which it plunges deeply into the water. Some whales are famous for being able to dive to depths of 600 meters! Sometimes large whales lift their tails above the water or even jump into the air, completely lifting off the surface of the water!

A whale is a sea monster. In the literal sense of the word. After all, this is exactly how the Greek word is translated, from which the name of this amazing animal comes - κῆτος. A lot can be said about marine inhabitants belonging to the order Cetaceans. But it’s worth dwelling on the most interesting facts.

Name

The first step is to answer the question that worries many. And it sounds like this: “Is a whale a fish or a mammal?” The second of the proposed options is correct.

The whale is a large marine mammal that is not related to porpoises or dolphins. Although they are included in the order Cetacea (cetaceans). In general, the situation with names is very interesting. Pilot whales and killer whales, for example, are considered whales. Although, in accordance with the strict official classification, they are dolphins, which few people know.

And it is better to trust a strict classification, since in the old days leviathans were called whales - sea monsters with many heads that could devour the planet. In a word, the name has an interesting story.

Origin

Well, the question “Is a whale a fish or a mammal?” was answered above. Now we can talk about the types of these creatures.

To begin with, it is worth noting that all whales are descendants of land mammals. Moreover, those who belonged to the orders of artiodactyls! This is not fiction, but a scientifically proven fact that was established after molecular genetic examinations. There is even a monophyletic group (clade) that includes whales, hippopotamuses and all artiodactyls. All of them are cetaceans. According to research, whales and hippos descended from the same creature that lived on our planet about 54 million years ago.

Units

So, now - about the types of whales. Or rather, about suborders. The first species is baleen whales. They are the largest of modern mammals. Their physiological feature is a mustache with a filter-like structure.

The second species is toothed whales. Carnivorous, fast creatures. They are superior to toothless whales. Only the sperm whale can compare in size with them. And their feature, as you might have guessed, is the presence of teeth.

And the third species is ancient whales. Those that no longer exist. They belong to a paraphyletic group of animals from which modern species of whales later evolved.

Anatomical features

Now it is worth considering the description of the whale from a physiological point of view. This animal is a mammal, and it is warm-blooded. Accordingly, each whale breathes with the help of its lungs, and the females feed their calves with milk. And these creatures have hair, albeit reduced.

Because these mammals are exposed to the sun, their skin has protection from ultraviolet rays. True, it is expressed differently in each species. A blue whale, for example, can increase the content of special pigments in its skin that absorb radiation (in simple terms, it “tans”). The sperm whale protects itself from oxygen radicals by triggering a “stress response.” The fin whale practices both methods.

By the way, these creatures maintain their warm-bloodedness due to the presence of a thick fatty layer under the skin. It is this that protects the internal organs of marine animals from hypothermia.

Oxygen absorption process

It is also interesting to talk about how whales breathe. These mammals can stay under water for a minimum of 2 minutes and a maximum of 40. However, there is a record holder, and it is the sperm whale, which is able to stay under water for 1.5 hours.

The external nostrils of these creatures are located at the top of the head. They have special valves that reflexively close the airways when the whale dives into the water. At the moment of surfacing, they open. It is important to know that the airway does not connect to the esophagus. So the whale absorbs air safely, without harm to itself. Even if there is water in his mouth. And by the way, speaking about how whales breathe, it is worth noting that they do it quickly. Speed ​​is facilitated by shortened bronchi and trachea. By the way, their lungs are very powerful. In one breath, the whale renews its air by 90%. And people are only 15%.

It is worth noting that at the moment of surfacing, a column of condensed steam emerges through the nostrils (also called the blowhole). The same fountain that is the calling card of whales. This occurs due to the fact that the whale exhales warm air, which comes into contact with the outside (cold) air. So the fountain is the result of temperature effects. The column of steam varies in height and shape among different whales. The most impressive are the “fountains” of large mammals. They come out of their blowhole with such enormous power that the process is accompanied by a loud trumpet sound. In good weather it can be heard from the shore.

Food

It’s worth saying a few words about what whales eat. The diet of animals is varied. Toothed whales, for example, eat fish, cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish) and in some cases mammals.

Whiskered representatives feed on plankton. They absorb a huge volume of crustaceans, filtering it from the water or using their baleen. These animals can also eat small fish.

The most interesting thing is that in winter whales hardly eat. And for this reason, in the summer they continuously consume food. This approach helps them accumulate a thick layer of fat.

By the way, they need a lot of food. Large whales consume about three tons of food per day.

Bright representative

The blue whale deserves special attention. This is the largest animal that has ever existed on our planet. It reaches 33 meters in length and weighs about 150 tons.

By the way, the blue whale is a representative of the baleen suborder. Feeds on plankton. It has a well-developed filtering apparatus, due to which it filters the absorbed mass inside.

There are three subspecies of this animal. There is a dwarf, southern and northern whale. The last two live in cold circumpolar waters. The dwarf is found in tropical seas.

It is believed that blue whales live for about 110 years. In any case, that was the size of the oldest individual people had ever encountered.

Unfortunately, the blue whale is not a very common marine creature. In the 20th century, uncontrolled hunting began for these animals. By the middle of the last century, only 5 thousand individuals remained throughout the world. People did a terrible thing by exterminating them. Emergency security measures were taken. At the moment, the number of individuals has doubled, but blue whales are still at risk.

Belukha

This is a representative of the toothed whales of the narwhal family. The beluga whale is not very large. Its weight reaches only 2 tons, and its length is 6 meters. Beluga whales have excellent hearing, acute perception of any sounds, and the ability to echolocation. In addition, these are social creatures - there are known cases in which these whales saved a person. They get along well in aquariums, over time they get used to people, and even become attached to workers.

Their diet is varied. Beluga whales eat cod, flounder, herring, clams, algae, shrimp, lamprey, rib jellyfish, pink salmon, gobies, blennies, crayfish and many other sea creatures that are suitable for food.

These creatures, like many others, also suffered due to human cruelty. Whalers easily drove them onto the shallows, and the belugas literally crashed. But at the moment this species is gradually restoring its numbers. Let's just hope people don't ruin anything.

There are dozens of other representatives of cetaceans, and all are special and interesting in their own way. And we hope that every species that we know of will survive. The marine world should not lose any of them, as each of them is a true wonder and natural treasure.