Whales are sea monsters. What type of animal are whales? The whale is an animal

The blue whale, also known as the blue whale, is the largest mammal that has ever existed on our planet. Despite its massive size, this giant feeds on almost the smallest sea inhabitants - tiny shrimp (krill). The length of a blue whale can reach 23-33 m, and its weight can be 150 tons. Moreover, females are usually larger than males.

Is the blue whale a fish or an animal? The blue whale cannot be classified as a fish for several reasons: firstly, the absence of gills - the whale breathes with its lungs. Secondly, whales have a 4-chambered heart, not a 2-chambered one like fish. Thirdly, females feed their cubs with milk, that is, they are mammals. Finally, whales have no scales and are warm-blooded, unlike fish. These are just a few of the main reasons why we can classify blue whales as animals rather than fish.

Vomit is an animal of the baleen whale order. It has an elongated, slender body and a large head, which makes up 27% of the total body length. The upper jaw of the blue whale is significantly narrower than the lower jaw. Vomiting is usually dark gray in color, sometimes with a blue tint. Large spots are often found on the body, mainly on the abdominal and posterior parts. If you look at a whale from above - through the water, it appears blue, which is why it got its name.

The blue whale dives to a fairly large depth - up to 200 m, but if it is wounded or frightened, it can dive even deeper - up to 500 m. The duration of the dive, as a rule, is from 5 to 30 minutes, but if the whale is pursued by whalers, then out of fear he can hide underwater for almost an hour. After surfacing, the whale breathes rapidly for 2-10 minutes and dives again. Each time it emerges, it releases a fountain of steam up to 10 meters high.

The blue whale feeds mainly on plankton. To catch it, it opens its mouth and swims, slowly absorbing water with krill that it encounters along the way. Then, closing its mouth, the vomit with its tongue pushes out the water through the whalebone. The food is deposited on the whisker fringe and then swallowed. The blue whale's stomach can hold up to a ton of food. Vomits eat mainly in the summer, and after migrating to warm waters for the winter, they eat almost nothing.

Some scientists believe that the brain of blue whales is closest in its capabilities to the human brain when compared with other animals. Blue whales also have a good memory: they can remember where they were born and raised, and recognize their parents even after many years.

These animals have poor eyesight and sense of smell. But they have well-developed hearing and sense of touch. Blue whales exchange sound signals with their relatives at a distance of up to 33 km.

Vomit is a solitary animal. Occasionally, individuals unite in small flocks, but even there they swim separately. However, these animals are believed to be monogamous and form very close and long-lasting bonds.

Whales are very peculiar mammals, which, due to their constant life in water, are more like fish. This group of animals has a characteristic appearance and at the same time has achieved significant diversity. Whales form a separate order of Cetaceans, but this term is a collective one. Usually this word refers to large species; small cetaceans have other names (dolphins, porpoises).

Humpback whale, or humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).

The most striking distinguishing feature of these animals is their size. Indeed, all species of whales are simply giants of the animal world. Even the smallest species (dwarf sperm whales, for example) reach a length of 2-3 m and a weight of 400 kg, and most species have a length of 5-12 m and a weight of several tons. The largest species, the blue whale, reaches a length of 33 m and weighs 150 tons! It is several times larger than even the largest dinosaurs. The blue whale is the largest living creature ever to inhabit our planet!

All species of whales are characterized by an elongated, streamlined body, a very short, inactive neck and a large head. The size of the head can vary greatly between species: in small whales it is 1/5 of the body length, in large baleen whales its size can reach 1/4, and in the sperm whale the head makes up 1/3 of the body. Based on the structure of their teeth, whales are divided into two suborders: baleen and toothed. Baleen whales have no teeth at all; they are replaced by giant horny plates that hang in the mouth like a fringe. They are called whalebone.

Baleen in the mouth of a whale.

Toothed whales have teeth, their shape and size vary between species. The structure of the jaws can also be different: in baleen whales the lower jaw is much larger than the upper and is similar to a ladle; in toothed whales, on the contrary, the upper jaw is larger or equal in size to the lower. Such differences are associated with the nature of the diet of these animals.

On the head of a humpback whale, the difference in the size of the upper and lower jaws is clearly visible.

The brain size of whales is relatively large, but this is primarily due to the development of the parts of the brain responsible for hearing. Whales, like dolphins, have perfect echolocation abilities; they emit sounds of various frequencies and use their reflection (echo) to navigate in space, find food and communicate with each other. Just like dolphins, whales are subject to an unknown pathology - they can periodically wash ashore. The animals do this unconsciously (the ability of whales to commit suicide is nothing more than a stupid prejudice), but with such persistence that scientists are still puzzling over the reason for such strange behavior. Animals washed ashore are not always old or sick; moreover, sometimes, through the efforts of rescuers, they can be returned to the sea. Most likely, the root cause of such death is disruptions in the operation of the echo sounder caused by numerous radio sources (all modern navigation uses powerful sources and repeaters of radio waves). Such electromagnetic “noise” in the ocean confuses the giants and they approach the shores; moreover, accustomed to trusting their feelings, the whales stubbornly strive in the “right” direction until they run aground. Other sense organs in whales are poorly developed: the sense of smell is in its infancy, and vision is also rather weak.

On the top of the head there is a breathing hole - a blowhole. In more primitive baleen whales it consists of two openings (“nostrils”), in toothed whales there is only one opening. Interestingly, during exhalation, moist air from the lungs creates a kind of fountain, and its shape depends on the type of whale.

A blowhole with two nostrils on the head of a gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus).

The limbs of whales are arranged in a very unusual way. The front ones have turned into flattened fins, and their size can vary greatly among different species. For example, belted teeth and sperm whales have small fins, and greatest development they reach at the humpback whale.

The long fins of a humpback whale resemble wings underwater.

But whales have no hind limbs at all; in their place in the lumbar spine there are only two small bones to which the muscles of... the genital organs are attached. The driving force in the whale's body is created by a powerful twin tail, but these are not modified hind legs, as some believe.

The powerful tail is used by whales for movement and protection.

The coloration of whales is varied, but discreet. More often, their body has a dark upper side and a lighter lower side; some species (Bryde's minke) may have clearly visible stripes on the underside of the head. Species such as the blue whale, gray whale, and sperm whale are uniformly gray or brown in color.

The beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) gets its name from its rare white skin color.

Whales are widespread throughout all oceans (and some seas) of the globe. They are found only in deep waters; as a rule, they do not enter bays, river mouths and similar shallow waters. Whales usually move freely across the ocean, but their movement is not chaotic. Each whale species has favorite breeding grounds that they visit during certain seasons. The rest of the time, whales fatten up, but do this in areas remote from their breeding grounds. Thus, whales migrate with a cyclicity of 1 year. When feeding, whales swim at a speed of 10-20 km/h, but in case of danger they switch to a cruising speed of 50 km/h. Adult males and non-breeding females stay alone, females with cubs, as well as all animals during the breeding season form herds of 5-15 individuals. There is a peaceful atmosphere inside the herd: the whales have no internal hierarchy, they do not show aggression towards each other, in case of danger, all members of the herd try to defend themselves with common efforts, there are even cases of mutual assistance to wounded brothers. In general, whales, with their huge size and clumsiness, give the impression of stupid and uninteresting animals. But this is a false idea! These peculiar animals are endowed with developed intelligence and are not inferior to dolphins in intelligence. For example, there are cases when whales showed interest in the underwater photographers who were filming them - the animals approached people and even tried to play with them in their own way, pushing them to the surface. Another example: whalers tracked down a female whale with her calf and killed the latter. The whale carcass was transported to the cutting site in tow. All this time, the female swam nearby and tried to remove the corpse of the cub from the rope. Captive whales in captivity quickly get used to people and are able to perform tricks (to the best of their ability). physical capabilities). Like all highly developed animals, whales love to play, while they jump high out of the water and beat their tails loudly.

Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata).

Whales feed on a variety of marine animals, and there is a narrow specialization in the nutrition of different species. Baleen whales eat exclusively plankton - the smallest sea crustaceans. They extract it by filtering large volumes of water. To do this, the whale opens its mouth and takes water into its mouth...

Humpback whales use their open mouths as a scoop.

then with his tongue, like a piston, he pushes the water out of his mouth - the water flows freely through the whalebone, but the crustaceans remain.

A whale strains water with plankton.

Toothed whales feed on fish, which they also catch not individually, but in whole schools. Sperm whales specialize in catching deep-sea fish and shellfish (mainly squid). Many whales make long dives for hunting; they can stay under water for up to 1.5 hours. The record holders for diving depth are sperm whales, which were encountered at a depth of 1 km!

Whales are very infertile animals. Females reach sexual maturity at 7-15 years, males only at 15-25. Moreover, each individual participates in reproduction no more than once every 2 years. In the mating ritual of whales there is not only no aggression, but also any kind of struggle at all. Male whales attract the attention of females with their songs! Whale voices are surprisingly delicate for animals of their size. Each species of whale has its own set of sounds, but even individuals of the same species differ in the tone of their voice. The whale's song resembles a melodic moan and sounds very loud. According to divers, when a whale sings, the water column around it vibrates. Female whales can mate with several males, since there is no struggle between representatives of the stronger sex, selection occurs in a very unusual way. It turns out that the gonads of whales are enormous in size (in the sperm whale, for example, up to 10-20% of body weight) and are capable of producing a large number of sperm. Thus, among several males mating with one female, the one whose hormonal status is higher wins. Pregnancy various types lasts 11-18 months. The female gives birth to only one calf, but it is large and developed. For example, the weight of a newborn blue whale is 2-3 tons. The calf is born tail first and, with the help of its mother, rises to the surface for its first breath. The mother often feeds the cub with very rich milk, due to which it grows quickly. The lactation period of whales is relatively short - 5-7 months. During this time, the cub manages to grow 2 times, then its growth slows down sharply. For another 1.5-2 years, the cub accompanies the mother, using her protection. In small and medium-sized whales, young animals are kept in herds until they reach sexual maturity, and sometimes later. Whales live 50-70 years.

Baby blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus).

It would seem that nothing could threaten such gigantic animals in this world. In reality, whales are very vulnerable to various dangers. In the ocean, whales have no enemies except... their own brothers. Killer whales (giant predatory dolphins often called whales) attack other species of cetaceans. Killer whales live in groups and act collectively, so even adult whales can hardly resist their coordinated attack, and the calves are completely defenseless. When attacked, whales try to escape by “flight”, swimming away from the herd of killer whales at high speed. If it was not possible to break away from the pursuit, the whale tries to fight off the attackers with strong blows of its tail, the mother swims under the calf from below, trying to cover it with her body.

But even in the absence of predators, whales have enough problems. Sometimes these animals experience... hunger. Massive fishing, global warming, changing sea currents undermine the food supply of whales and animals can drift for several weeks in “barren” waters. Researchers have encountered extremely emaciated animals. In the Arctic Ocean, whales are often caught in ice traps. Since whales breathe air, they are forced to surface regularly to replenish their supplies. If there are no suitable polynyas around, whales break through the ice with their heads, but they do not always succeed. When the ice is thick (or the opening is small), entire herds of whales suffocate under the ice.

Minke whale in Antarctic ice.

To top it all off, whales are actively hunted by people. Despite their impressive size (or rather, because of them), whales are attractive prey for fishing. There are no useless parts in a whale carcass; everything is used: fat (blub), meat, whalebone, teeth, skin. Sperm whales are suppliers of very exotic products - spermaceti and ambergris. Spermaceti, despite its name, is not whale sperm at all, but a fat-like substance from the brain. Ambergris is found in the intestines and has a pleasant smell, which is why it got its name. Both substances are very valuable raw materials in the cosmetics industry and are extremely highly valued on the world market.

As a result of the impact of unfavorable factors, the number of almost all species of whales has greatly decreased, many species are on the verge of extinction. In this regard, the World Convention on the Prohibition of Whale Fishing was adopted (especially since whaling products have lost their relevance in our time). The only country that has not signed the convention is Japan. Japanese whalers still carry out mass fishing of all whales indiscriminately, justifying themselves by the fact that whale meat... is a traditional component of Japanese cuisine. On the other hand, tourism in whale breeding grounds has gained wide popularity. Nature lovers visit such places on small boats; queues line up to tour operators for the opportunity to watch whales live and hear their songs. Attempts to keep whales in captivity run into many obstacles: large species of whales cannot be kept due to their size, baleen whales cannot be fed with plankton, and catching an adult whale without killing it is very difficult. Repeated attempts to catch the cubs led to the death of the babies even at the transportation stage. Only the smallest species of whales (beluga whales, pilot whales) take root in aquariums, but they do not breed there. Perhaps the only way to preserve these unique animals is a widespread ban on their hunting and comprehensive protection of water resources.

The carcass of a beached blue whale is being cut up for further scientific research.

A whale is a marine animal of the chordate type, class mammals, order Cetacea. The whale received its modern name, consonant in many languages, from the Greek word kitoc, literally meaning “sea monster.”

Anatomically, the whale has teeth, but in some species they are in an undeveloped state. In toothless baleen whales, teeth are replaced by bony plates called baleen and adapted for straining food.

And only representatives of toothed whales grow identical cone-shaped teeth.

The whale's spine can contain from 41 to 98 vertebrae, and thanks to the spongy structure of the skeleton, elastic intervertebral discs give the animal's body special maneuverability and plasticity.

There is no cervical interception, and the head smoothly merges into the body, which noticeably tapers towards the tail. The whale's pectoral fins are modified and turned into flippers that perform the function of steering, turning and braking. The tail section of the body is flexible and muscular, has a slightly flattened shape and performs the function of a motor. At the end of the tail there are blades that are horizontal.

Most species of whales have an unpaired dorsal fin, which acts as a stabilizer when moving through the water column.

The skin of a whale is smooth, hairless, only single hairs and bristles grow on the face of baleen whales, similar to the whiskers of land animals.

The color of the whale can be monochromatic, spotted or counter-shaded, when the top of the animal is dark and the bottom is light. In some species, the color of the body changes with age.

Due to the absence of olfactory nerves, whales have almost completely lost their sense of smell. Taste buds are poorly developed, so unlike other mammals, whales can only distinguish the salty taste. Whales have poor eyesight, most of these animals are myopic, but they have conjunctival glands that are absent in other animals.

In terms of whale hearing, the complex anatomy of the inner ear allows whales to detect sounds ranging from 150 Hz to the lowest ultrasonic frequencies. And due to the richly innervated skin, all whales have an excellent sense of touch.

Whales communicate with each other. The absence of vocal cords does not prevent whales from speaking and making special sounds using their echolocation apparatus. The concave bones of the skull, together with the fat layer, act as a sound lens and reflector, directing a beam of ultrasonic signals in the desired direction.

Most whales are quite slow, but if necessary, a whale's speed can be 20 - 40 km/h.

The lifespan of small whales is about 30 years, large whales live up to 50 years.

Where do whales live?

Whales live in all oceans. Most species of whales are gregarious animals and prefer to live in groups of several tens or even thousands of individuals. Some species are subject to constant seasonal migrations: in winter, whales swim to warm waters where they give birth, and in summer they fatten in temperate and high latitudes.

What does a whale eat?

Most whales feed a certain type stern:

• planktivores eat exclusively plankton;
• teutophagous prefer to eat cephalopods;
• ichthyophages they eat only live fish;
• saprophages (detritivores) consume decomposed organic matter.

And only one animal from the order of cetaceans, the killer whale, feeds not only on fish, but also on pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, penguins), as well as other whales, dolphins and their calves.

Killer whale swims after a penguin

Types of whales with photos and names.

Modern classification divides the order of cetaceans into 2 main suborders:

• toothless or mustachioed whales (Mysticeti);
• toothy whales (Odontoceti), which includes dolphins, killer whales, sperm whales and porpoises.

The order Cetacea forms 38 genera, which include over 80 known species. Among this variety, several varieties can be distinguished:

• , aka humpback or long-armed minke whale(Megaptera novaeangliae)

got its name from the convex fin on its back, reminiscent of a hump. The body length of the whale reaches 14.5 meters, in some specimens it is 18 meters. The average weight of a humpback whale is 30 tons. The humpback whale differs from other representatives of the minke whale family by its shortened body, variety of colors and several rows of warty, leathery protrusions on the top of its head. Humpback whales live throughout the world's oceans, except the Arctic and Antarctic. Representatives of the North Atlantic population feed exclusively on fish: capelin, navaga, pollock, sardines, herring, haddock. The remaining whales eat small crustaceans, various shellfish and small schooling fish.

• Gray whale (California whale) (Eschrichtius robustus, Eschrichtius gibbosus)

the only species of whale that practices eating food from the ocean floor: the animal plows the silt with a special keel-shaped outgrowth located under the lower jaw. The basis of the gray whale's food consists of many organisms that live on the bottom: annelids, snails, bivalves and other mollusks, crayfish, egg capsules and sea sponges, as well as small species of fish. Gray whales in adulthood have a body length of up to 12-15 m, the average weight of a whale varies from 15 to 35 tons, with females being larger than males. The body is brown-gray or dark brown, reminiscent of rocky shores in color. This species of whale lives in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, Chukchi and Bering Seas, and in winter migrates to the Gulf of California and to the southern shores of Japan. Gray whales are record holders among animals for the duration of migrations - the distance covered by animals can reach 12 thousand km.

• bowhead whale (polar whale) (Balaena mysticetus)

long-lived among mammals. Average age The polar whale's lifespan is 40 years, but the known scientifically proven fact of longevity is 211 years. This is a unique species of baleen whale that spends its entire life in the cold waters of the Northern Hemisphere, often making its way like an icebreaker. The whale fountain rises to 6 m in height. The body length of mature females reaches 20-22 meters, males - 18 meters. The weight of a whale is from 75 to 150 tons. The animal's skin color is usually gray or dark blue. The belly and neck are lighter in color. An adult bowhead whale consumes almost 2 tons every day various foods, consisting of plankton (crustaceans and pteropods).

• Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)

the largest representative of toothed whales, and females are much smaller than males and have a body length of no more than 15 meters. The male whale grows up to 20 meters in length. The maximum weight of females reaches 20 tons, males - 50 tons. Sperm whales have such a distinctive appearance that they cannot be confused with other cetaceans. The giant head makes up over 35% of the length of the body, and, when viewed from the side, the sperm whale's muzzle looks like a slightly beveled rectangle. In the recess at the bottom of the head there is a mouth lined with 20-26 pairs of cone-shaped teeth. The weight of 1 whale tooth reaches 1 kilogram. The wrinkled skin of the sperm whale is often dark gray with a blue tint, although dark brown and even black individuals are found. Being a predator, the sperm whale hunts squid, cuttlefish, large fish (including some types of sharks), and also swallows all sorts of objects found in the ocean: empty bottles, rubber boots, toys, coils of wire. Sperm whales live throughout the world's oceans, but are more common in tropical waters than in cool ones. Most of the population is distributed off the coast of the Black Continent and the eastern coast of Asia.

• (Balaenoptera physalus)

the second largest animal on the planet. The length of an adult whale is 24-27 m, but thanks to its slender physique, the whale weighs only 40-70 tons. A distinctive feature of fin whales is the asymmetrical coloration of the muzzle: the right part of the lower jaw is white, and the left is dark. The whale's diet consists of small crustaceans. Fin whales live in all oceans: in winter they inhabit the waters of moderately warm zones, and in the warm season they swim to the waters of the Arctic and Antarctic.

• Blue whale (blue whale, vomited)(Balaenoptera musculus)

not only the largest whale in the world, but also the largest animal on our planet. The length of a blue whale can reach 33 meters, and the weight of a blue whale reaches 150 tons. This animal has a relatively slender build and a narrow muzzle. The body color within the species is uniform: most individuals are gray with a blue tint and gray spots scattered throughout the body, making the animal’s skin appear marbled. The blue whale feeds mostly on plankton and inhabits the entire World Ocean.

• Dwarf right whale (dwarf right whale, short-headed right whale)(Caperea marginata)

The smallest species of the suborder of baleen whales. The body of an adult does not exceed 4-6 m in length, and the whale’s body weight barely reaches 3-3.5 tons. Skin color is gray with dark spots, sometimes black. It is distinguished by a wave-like mode of movement, unusual for whales, and feeds on plankton. The pygmy whale is one of the rarest and smallest species of whales, living mainly in the waters of southern Australia and New Zealand.

Whale breeding

For the most part, whales are monogamous and breed once every 2 years. Whales reach the ability to reproduce by 3-5 years, but physically mature only at the age of 12 years. Mating season greatly extended in time, because males are ready to mate for almost a whole year. Depending on the species, a female whale's pregnancy lasts from 7 to 18 months. Non-migratory whales give birth in the summer, the rest swim to warm waters and give birth there.

Childbirth occurs in the water column, one calf is born, and it always goes tail first. A newborn whale weighs 2-3 tons and is a quarter or even half the length of a female.

The whale calf can immediately move independently, but stays close to its mother, in whom the maternal instinct prevails above others.

Whales feed their young underwater. Whale milk is extremely thick and high-calorie, with a fat content of up to 54%, and does not spread in water. The mother feeds the calf for an average of 4-7 months (sperm whales up to 13 months). The cubs grow quickly and, upon completion of breastfeeding, increase in size to half their original length. All this time, the males of most whale species stay nearby and do not leave their family under any circumstances.

What is the difference between a whale and a sperm whale?

The sperm whale is a species of whale. It has its own specific features:

• The head of a sperm whale with a huge square forehead occupies from 1/4 to 1/3 of the length of the body. The head of other whales is relatively small: from 1/5 to 1/9 of the body length. The exception is some representatives of baleen whales, such as the bowhead whale, the southern right whale, whose head and body sizes are in the same proportion as those of sperm whales.
• The nostrils of whales are moved back and up. They can be paired (in baleen whales) or unpaired (one nostril) (in toothed whales). In the sperm whale, the nostrils are located asymmetrically and moved forward, while one of them performs respiratory function, and with the help of the other he makes sounds.
• The sperm whale belongs to the suborder of toothed whales, and its jaws are armed with numerous cone-shaped teeth. Mammals of the suborder baleen whales have horny plates instead of teeth, which replace teeth and are called baleen.
• Sperm whales have a huge spermaceti organ in their heads, filled with a fatty substance (spermaceti) that solidifies at low temperatures. It is assumed that this organ helps the animal dive and rise to the surface. Unlike the sperm whale, other whales do not have such an organ.
• Another difference is the dorsal fin. In whales it is solitary. In sperm whales it has an unusual structure for other whales - a small crest, followed by several similar ones, only smaller ones.
• The sperm whale is capable of diving to depths of up to 3000 m, which is much greater compared to other whales. It stays under water longer not only than other cetaceans, but also all living creatures on the planet that breathe atmospheric air.
• The sperm whale, like other toothed whales, feeds mainly on cephalopods, in particular squid and, in smaller quantities, fish, including deep-sea fish, grabbing them with its jaws. Baleen whales feed on plankton, small fish and other small vertebrates, filtering them from the water through the baleen.
• The pregnancy of sperm whales is longer than that of other cetaceans, lasting 16-18 months.
• All whales feed their young underwater. After a certain period of time, babies latch onto their mother's nipple for a few seconds. In this case, the cubs of all whales hold it between the tongue and the top of the palate, and the baby sperm whale holds it in the corner of the mouth.
• Sperm whales emit echolocation signals: clicks, crackles and creaks. Baleen whales, whose echolocation is not developed or is in its infancy, can make a variety of sounds. For example, a bowhead whale can produce a growl, roar, moan, or purr; humpback whale songs are similar to the sounds of wind instruments; The moans of the fin whale resemble the sound of a flute from high to low tones. Many representatives of toothed whales make the same sounds as sperm whales, but at the same time they are capable of whistling, roaring, and killer whales can also scream like March cats.
• Whales swim faster than sperm whales, reaching speeds of more than 50 km/h. The maximum speed of sperm whales rarely exceeds 37 km/h, and generally does not exceed 10 km/h.

What is the difference between an orca and a whale?

The killer whale, like whales, belongs to the order Cetaceans, but it has certain characteristics:

• Killer whales differ from other whales in having a high dorsal fin, reaching 1 m in height. Moreover, males have a higher fin than females.
• In killer whales, in contrast to other whales, the head shortens with age, and the tail lengthens, that is, the tail grows faster than the head.
• Whales feed on plankton, small vertebrates, fish, and cephalopods. Killer whales, which also eat fish and shellfish at a young age, later become real predators, attacking warm-blooded animals. They eat sea lions, sea lions, elephant seals, porpoises, seals, walruses and even their fellow cetaceans. They swallow small prey whole, and large prey in large pieces.
• Whales are rather melancholic and slow animals. These sometimes clumsy sea giants are ready to filter water for hours, extracting krill from it. The killer whale is a fast and very active predator, deftly hunting prey swimming nearby.
• Killer whales are characterized by a strong attachment to each other and to their calves; their pod is difficult to separate. Many other whales lead a solitary lifestyle or gather in small groups of 3-4 individuals.

• For a long time, whales have been of great economic importance to humans. Bones and fat from the subcutaneous layers of the whale were boiled to obtain fat, which was used for the production of margarine, glycerin and was used in the soap industry.
• Spermaceti, extracted from the head of sperm whales, is included in cosmetics, including decorative lipstick and various creams. Before the invention of polymers, corsets for women's dresses and springs for upholstered furniture were made from whalebone.
• Insulin and other drugs are produced from whale pancreatic secretions. Ambergris, contained in the intestines of the sperm whale, is widely used in perfumery as a flavor stabilizer.
• Uncontrolled whaling inevitably led to the almost complete extinction of many whale populations. Today, most species are listed in the International Red Book, and commercial whale hunting is prohibited by the legislation of most civilized countries.

Whales (in Greek - “sea monsters”) are large marine mammals belonging to the fairly large order Cetaceans. The status of the name has not been fully determined at the moment, but any cetaceans, with the exception of dolphins and porpoises, are considered representatives of Otrad.

Description of whales

Along with other mammals, whales use lungs for breathing, belong to the category of warm-blooded animals, feed their newborn offspring with milk produced by the mammary glands, and also have fairly reduced hair.

Appearance

Whales have a spindle-shaped body that resembles the streamlined shape of almost any fish.. The fins, which are sometimes called flippers, have a lobe-like appearance. The tail end is characterized by the presence of a fin, represented by two horizontal blades. Such a fin has the function of a stabilizer and a kind of “engine”, therefore, in the process of wave-like movements in the vertical plane, the whales are provided with fairly easy movement in the forward direction.

This is interesting! Whales, like dolphins, do not need to rise to the surface of the water very often for the purpose of breathing, so only half of the animal’s brain is able to rest during sleep at a certain time.

The protection of the whale's skin from the negative effects of ultraviolet rays of the sun is provided by various protective devices, which differ markedly from different groups cetacean mammals.

For example, blue whales are able to increase the content of pigments in their skin, which very effectively absorb a fairly large amount of ultraviolet radiation. Sperm whales trigger special “stress” reactions, similar to the response to exposure to oxygen radicals, and fin whales are able to use both protective methods. In cold waters, whales maintain a stable body temperature thanks to a very thick and uniform fat layer located directly under the skin of such a large mammal. This layer of subcutaneous fat serves as a very effective and complete protection internal organs whale from severe hypothermia.

Character and lifestyle

According to scientists, whales belong to the category of animals that lead a predominantly diurnal lifestyle. Almost all representatives of the order Cetaceans are capable of staying directly under water for a long time and without renewing air in their lungs, but a significant number of such mammals rarely use this natural opportunity, so whales most often dive only when immediate danger appears.

However, among whales there are real, very good deep-sea swimmers. For example, the sperm whale is such an unsurpassed diver. This whale can easily dive into water to a depth of a couple of thousand meters, remaining underwater for an hour and a half. This feature is due to the presence of several changes that the whale’s body has undergone, including increased lung capacity and increased hemoglobin content in the blood, as well as a high volume of myoglobin in muscle tissue. In addition, the whale's respiratory center has low sensitivity to quantity carbon dioxide. Before diving, the whale breathes very deeply, during which the muscle hemoglobin is actively saturated with oxygen and the lungs are filled with clean air.

This is interesting! All whales are gregarious marine animals, preferring to form groups of several dozen or even hundreds of individuals.

Whales are large animals, but very peaceful. Many cetacean species are characterized by seasonal migrations. With the onset of cold weather, mammals migrate towards warmer waters, and after a while return back. From year to year, such aquatic animals adhere to only one route, so during the migration process they return to already inhabited and familiar areas. For example, the Asian herd of fin whales is characterized by summer fattening in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, rich in food, near the Chukotka Peninsula and Kamchatka. With the onset of cold weather, such whales move to the waters of the Yellow Sea or closer to the southern Japanese shores.

How long do whales live?

The smallest species of whales live about a quarter of a century, and the average life expectancy of the largest representatives of the order Cetaceans can be fifty years. The age of a whale is determined in several ways: according to the appearance of the female's ovaries or baleen plates, as well as by the ear plug or teeth.

Types of whales

Representatives of the order Cetaceans are represented by two suborders:

• Baleen whales (Mysticeti) – are distinguished by the presence of whiskers, as well as a filter-like structure, which is located on the upper jaw of the animal and consists mainly of keratin. Baleen is used in the filtration of various aquatic plankton and allows a significant volume of water to be filtered through its comb-like mouth structure. Baleen whales are by far the most major representatives from all suborders of whales;
• Toothed whales (Odontoseti) – are characterized by the presence of teeth, and the structural features of such aquatic mammals allow them to hunt squid and fairly large fish, which are the main source of their diet. The special abilities of absolutely all representatives of this group also include the ability to sense the features of the environment, called echolocation. Toothed whales also include porpoises and dolphins.

The group Baleen whales is divided into four families: minke whales (Balaenopteridae), gray whales (Eschrichtiidae), smooth whales (Balaenidae) and dwarf whales (Neobalaenidae). Such families include ten species, represented by the bowhead, southern pygmy, gray, humpback, blue, fin and sei whales, as well as minke and Bryde's whales.

The families of toothed whales include:

• Gangetic dolphins (Platanistidae Gray);
• Dolphinidae (Delphinidae Gray);
• Narwhals (Monodontidae Gray);
• Sperm whales (Physeteridae Gray);
• Inii (Iniidae Gray);
• Dwarf sperm whales (Cogiidae Gill);
• Beaked whales (Ziрhiidae Gray);
• Laplatan dolphins (Pontororiidae Gray);
• Porpoises (Phocoenidae Gray);
• River dolphins (Lipōtidae Gray).

The third suborder of the order Cetaceans are the ancient whales (Archaeoceti), which are today a completely extinct group.

Range, habitats

The largest distribution area is distinguished by sperm whales, which live in the waters of the entire World Ocean, with the exception of the coldest southern and northern regions, and dwarf sperm whales also inhabit warm or moderately warm waters of the World Ocean.

Representatives of baleen whales are widespread in the oceans, with the exception of the bowhead whale, which lives in Arctic waters, the Bryde's whale, which inhabits the warm zone of the World Ocean, and the dwarf whale, which is found in the cold and temperate waters of the Southern Hemisphere.

Whale diet

The composition of the diet of different cetacean species varies in accordance with their geographical distribution, ecological zone and time of year. Depending on your basic food preferences, different types whales live in certain oceanic zones. Planktivores or smooth whales feed mainly in the waters of the open sea, catching accumulations of zooplankton in the surface layers, represented by small crustaceans and pteropods. Benthophages or gray whales typically feed at shallow depths, and ichthyophages from the dolphin family prefer to catch schooling fish.

A significant part of minke whales are accustomed to a mixed diet represented by various crustaceans and fish, and teutophages, including sperm whales, beaked whales and gray dolphins, prefer only cephalopods.

Seasonal changes in feeding conditions can cause quite sharp fluctuations in such a parameter as the level of fatness of whales. Cetaceans are the most well-fed at the end of the autumn feeding period, and mammals become less well-fed in spring and winter. During the active breeding season, many whales do not feed at all.

Reproduction and offspring

All species of whales are adapted to produce their offspring exclusively in fairly warm waters. It is for this reason that mammals that live in cold areas and are accustomed to making long migrations give birth to their babies in the winter, moving to areas with higher temperatures. temperature conditions water.

This is interesting! Newborn whales are not only very large, but also well formed, which is due to the loss of pelvic bones by such aquatic animals, which impose some restrictions on maximum dimensions fetus

Pregnancy in various species of whales lasts from nine to sixteen months, and the result of childbirth is the birth of one whale, which is born tail first. A newborn baby, immediately after birth, rises to the water surface, where he takes his very first breath. The kittens very quickly get used to the new environment and begin to swim well and confidently enough. At first, the cubs stay close to their mother, which not only makes their movement easier, but also makes it as safe as possible.

The whales feed very often and attach themselves to the mother's nipple almost every quarter of an hour.. After sucking on the nipple, thanks to the contraction of special muscles, warm milk is independently injected into the baby’s mouth. Depending on the characteristics characteristic of the subspecies or species, different cetaceans produce different volumes of milk, which varies from 200-1200 ml in dolphins and up to 180-200 liters in a large blue whale.

The milk of cetaceans is very thick, creamy in color and about ten times more nutritious than traditional milk. cow's milk. Due to the high surface tension, whale milk does not spread in water, and the lactation period can last from four months to a year and sometimes partially coincides with the female’s next pregnancy.

Whales are characterized by a highly developed parental instinct, which is why such large aquatic mammals never leave their young in danger. Even if a whale calf finds itself in shallow water at low tide and is not able to swim away on its own, its mother will definitely wait for the tide and take her baby to the safest, most comfortable place. Adult whales are able to bravely rush to the aid of harpooned calves, and try to drag their calves away from the ship. It was precisely this boundless devotion of adult whales that whalers very often took advantage of, luring large individuals to the ship.

This is interesting! Beluga whales are trainable whales that often perform in dolphinariums and circuses, so calves of this species are especially highly prized.

It is well known that whales are distinguished by a surprisingly touching attitude not only towards their calves, but also to any relatives. All representatives of the order Cetaceans almost never abandon their sick or wounded brothers in trouble, so they try to come to the rescue in any case.

If a whale is too weak and is not able to rise to the surface on its own to breathe air into its lungs, then several healthy individuals surround such an animal to help it float, after which they carefully support the relative afloat.

Humanity began to ask the question of who a whale is, a fish or an animal, long before the formation of modern natural sciences. As the largest of all creatures living under water, this giant simply could not help but delight everyone who had the chance to see it.

Is a whale a fish or an animal?

Of course, today, thanks to modern knowledge about the structure of cetaceans and their origin, it is no longer difficult to give an exact answer to this question that has tormented man for so long. So, who exactly is he? This is a mammal whose ancestors once upon a time, for certain reasons, returned from land to water. What forced them to do this - whether it was competition from other animal species, or a sharp decrease in food in their habitat - is not known for certain. However, in the end, they found a new home for themselves there and, having successfully adapted, over time evolved into the form under which we know these creatures today.

Of the land animals currently living on the planet, the closest relatives of cetaceans are hippos, which are indeed similar to them in many respects in behavior and in their mutual love of water.

Cetaceans - general facts

In their family, whales are its only representatives. However, the same dolphins and porpoises also belong to marine mammals. What makes it possible to single out whales as a separate family? The main differences are as follows:

• Unlike fish, warm-blooded cetaceans. Therefore, to maintain core body temperature, they need a very thick subcutaneous fat layer.
• Second feature lies in the inability of whales to obtain oxygen directly from the water. To replenish its supply, they need to periodically rise to the surface.
• All cetacean mammals. And although the process of feeding babies with milk has undergone changes during evolution, its essence has remained the same.

The cetacean family is divided into three groups:

The whale is the largest living mammal. Its adult specimen can easily reach 25 meters in length. It weighs on average from 90 to 110 tons. These animals inhabit almost all the oceans of the Earth, however, due to their warm-blooded nature, they are prone to frequent migrations. They prefer to wait out cold winters closer to the tropics.

Based on skin color, whales are divided into blue and gray. The gray ones are presumably more ancient. Judging by some of the remains of these animals, their representatives inhabited the planet about 30 million years ago. Then they were distributed almost throughout the globe; Nowadays, gray whales are mostly seen in the North Pacific Ocean. They prefer to live in small groups of several individuals. There are also solitary whales, but this is rather an exception. Whales have incredibly strong family ties and communication with other members of their species is very important to them.

Blue whales are larger in size than gray whales, as well as any other mammal on the planet. With their size, they are a living reminder of those giants who once inhabited the land. They are not very fond of people, preferring to stay away from the coast and remaining mostly in the open ocean. As befits such a giant, the blue whale is quite slow. The average speed of its movement is about 10 km/h, however, if the animal is threatened, it can increase three times.

The number of animals has reached critically low levels many times. Often the reason for this was a person who mercilessly exterminated them for their valuable meat and fat. But the very specifics of cetacean reproduction do not contribute to the rapid restoration of population numbers. Offspring, as a rule, are born no more than once or twice a year. In this case, the female gives birth to only one kitten; sometimes it happens that there are two. The duration of pregnancy can vary from 9 to 18 months depending on the subspecies.

Naturally, with such vulnerability, the female protects the cub like the apple of her eye. The cubs also grow very quickly - after just six months they can already reach 14 meters in length and weigh up to 25 tons. Puberty in whales occurs when they reach the age of five, but a whale is considered truly adult only at 15 years of age.

What does a whale eat?

So what do whales eat? Their diet is highly specialized and depends entirely on the species. They can be planktivores and eat plankton, teutophages and eat shellfish, ichthyophages (use fish as a food source) and sacrophages (eat algae). Animals swallow their prey whole, without preliminary chewing. Toothed whales either grab it and hold it with their teeth, or use their tongue to suck in several fish at a time. Baleen whales pass large portions of food through a filter called "baleen". The only representative of cetaceans that regularly feeds on warm-blooded animals is the killer whale.