SCIENTIFIC NAME : Balaenoptera, Balaena, Eschrichtius, and Eubalaen WEIGHT : 20 - 200 tons LENGTH : 45 - 100 ft POPULATION : 10,000 - 90,000 PLACES : Southern Chile, Arctic, The Galapagos, Coral Triangle, Gulf of California, Coastal East Africa. HABITATS : Oceans,Polar Regions. | Whales roam throughout all of the worlds oceans, communicating with complex and mysterious sounds. Their sheer size amazes us: the blue whale can reach lengths of more than 100 feet and weigh up to 200 tons as much as 33 elephants.
Despite living in the water, whales breathe air. And like humans, they are warm-blooded mammals who nurse their young. A thick layer of fat called blubber insulates them from cold ocean waters.
Some whales are known as baleen whales including blue, right, bowhead, sei and gray whales. This refers to the fact that they have special bristle-like structures in their mouths (called baleen) that strains food from the water. Other whales, such as beluga or sperm whales, have teeth. |
