For statistics, we note that 86 species of these animals live on Earth. The largest whale in the world is blue. In length, this gigantic creature is almost 33 meters! Speaking figuratively, 30 African or Indian elephants would fit on it!
If we talk about where a whale of such unusual sizes lives, then these are open seas and oceans around the world. However, this habitat is not only blue, but in general all now living whales.
Lords of the sea
So, we have learned that the seas and oceans are places where the whale lives. But with all this, remember that whales are not fish! They breathe lightly, like all mammals, and not gills, like fish. That is why they urgently need to rise to the surface of the water from time to time to take a breath. This procedure is accompanied by an unusual fountain above sea level. But did whales always live in water? Of course not!
Interestingly, several million years ago, the ancestors of the present cetaceans lived on land, and unlike their descendants, they first moved to shallow water, hiding there from their enemies and hunting small animals at the same time, and after some time they completely went to sea. At the same time, their hair completely disappeared from their bodies, and their forepaws turned into fins. The tail, on the other hand, took the form necessary for comfortable swimming — not vertical, like in fish, but horizontal.
So, where does the whale live, we have found out. "Swam" on!
From the life of whales
Depending on their zoological species, whales can feed on fish, squid, small crustaceans and plankton. The stomach of these animals contains two to three tons of food. They swallow their prey whole without even trying to chew it. Whales swim very fast. With their dimensions, they manage to reach speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour. In addition, these animals are excellent divers.
Sperm whale, for example, can dive to depths of up to three thousand meters! And all this is due to the thick layer of fat that allows them to dive to similar depths, as well as the air remaining in the overgrown whale nostril, like in a bag. This gives him the opportunity not to float to the surface for two whole hours. If we talk about how much the whale lives, then this figure reaches 50 years. Whales are viviparous animals. They give birth to live cubs, feeding them milk, which, incidentally, is 10 times more nutritious than cow's! Thanks to this, little kittens grow very quickly. It is worth noting that these animals have excellent eyesight, touch, hearing and not only … As it was proved, they are guided by other senses - analyzers. The whales are able to catch ultrasound and infrasound, they communicate with each other using various sounds. Among other things, whales are very intelligent animals that are easy to train!
Where does the whale live - in the tropics or in the ice?
Whales are spread all over the globe, because in the seas and oceans there are no barriers to moving them. They keep in packs, preferring the same place in a certain season, but nevertheless, they have to swim long distances. Depending on the species, whales are divided into heat-loving and lovers of cool waters. For example, a white whale (or beluga whale) lives in the polar waters, while killer whales live in the waters of the tropics or subtropics.
The phenomenon of "suicide"
This is a common occurrence in the life of whales. Throwing ashore, the animal dies.
According to one version, this is because people are very polluting the oceans. Another version says that everything is to blame for their own ultrasounds, which sometimes let the whales down. Swimming under water, the animal sends an ultrasonic signal ahead of itself, and in the case of an obstacle it is reflected from it and comes back to the whale (like in bats), which, knowing full well that the obstacle is ahead, turns off. But if the shore is quite gentle, then the ultrasonic signal from it will not be reflected, which misinforms the whale: it thinks that water is ahead and is thrown to the land at high speed! Take care of whales - save them!
