Representatives of the class of mammals - whales - are marine animals that amaze with their impressive size. In Greek, the meaning of the word kitoc is “sea monster”, from which the name of this mammal comes from. In the old days, when fishermen just began to notice such a large creature as a whale, there were frequent disputes about whether it was a fish or an animal. Surprisingly, the ancestors of all cetaceans are artiodactyl land animals. Although the whale looks like a fish in appearance, one of its modern ancestors is a hippopotamus. Currently, there is no longer any doubt that whales are marine mammals.
Whales: description
Compared to other aquatic mammals, whales breathe through lungs and are warm-blooded animals. In addition, whales feed their offspring with milk, and also boast very thick hair.
Appearance
Whales, like most inhabitants of the seas and oceans, have a spindle-shaped, streamlined body. The fins (fins) are shaped like blades. The tail ends with a fin divided into 2 parts. It is located horizontally. The tail fin serves as both a stabilizer and a motor for the animal. The movement is carried out due to the wave-like movements of the caudal fin.
Interesting to know! Whales, like dolphins, need to occasionally come to the surface of the water to fill their lungs with oxygen. Only one half of their brain can be in a sleep state.
Different cetaceans protect their body surfaces from ultraviolet radiation in different ways.
If we take blue whales, then the level of special pigments in their skin increases, which absorb UV rays very effectively. Sperm whales trigger a special kind of reaction that is similar to the response to the influence of oxygen radicals. Fin whales have learned to use both methods of neutralizing ultraviolet radiation. Living in cold waters, whales maintain their optimal body temperature with a thick layer of fat. The layer is located directly under the skin of a mammal, and serves as an effective protection against hypothermia.
Behavior and lifestyle
Scientists believe that whales are mainly active during the daytime. The cetacean order is characterized by the fact that it can remain under water for a long period of time. Some representatives of this detachment rarely use their unique capabilities, hiding in the water column only in moments of danger.
Despite this, there are also unique underwater swimmers, such as sperm whales. This representative of cetaceans dives without problems to depths of up to 2 thousand meters, or even deeper. The sperm whale is able to stay in the water column for up to an hour and a half without replenishing its lungs with a new portion of fresh air. This became possible due to the fact that the whale has simply huge lungs, and there is an increased level of hemoglobin in its blood. In addition, a high level of myoglobin is concentrated in its muscle tissue. To everything else, it should be added that the sperm whale’s body is little sensitive to an excess of carbon dioxide. Before diving, the whale breathes frequently and deeply to saturate its muscles with oxygen, after which it fills its lungs with clean air.
Whales, despite their impressive size, do not show aggression towards other inhabitants of the underwater world. Their life activity is associated with seasonal migrations, so with the onset of cold weather, whales begin to move to water areas with more comfortable living conditions. Every year they move along the same routes, so the whales know where and why they are swimming. Asian herds of fin whales feed in the Sea of Okhotsk in the summer, and with the onset of cold weather their path lies in the Yellow Sea, to the shores of Japan.
How long do whales live?
The lifespan of this family depends on its variety and size. Small cetaceans live no more than a quarter of a century, but the largest ones can live up to 50 years. The age of a whale can be determined by several signs: by the condition of the female's ovaries, by the baleen plates, by the ear plug or by the teeth.
Amazing facts about whales.
Franz Josef Land
Best places to watch:
waters of Franz Josef Land
Types of whales:
beluga whales, narwhals, bowhead whales, minke whales.
Best season:
summer months coinciding with the period of free navigation
The waters of Franz Josef Land are another point on the map where the migration routes of different whale species simultaneously intersect. So, beluga whales traditionally come here in the summer months. In the waters of the Barents Sea you can also find the amazing “underwater unicorns” narwhals, bowhead whales, which were already mentioned earlier, and minke whales.
Franz Josef Land itself, like Wrangel Island, is notable for the pristine beauty of northern nature untouched by man, with numerous bird colonies, walrus roosts and other Red Book species of flora and fauna.
For reference. Marine animals of the Arctic - narwhal. Interesting facts about narwhals
Narwhals are one of the most amazing, rare and little-studied animals of the sea. In general, the appearance of the narwhal resembles the shape and size of its closest relative, the beluga whale. Its size is 3.5 - 4.5 meters. The difference is in the spotted color and horn.
There is a version that it was the narwhal that served as the prototype of the mythical unicorn, because its horn is exactly the same as in the well-known pictures - long and twisted around its axis in a spiral, and always to the left. In English, one of the names of this animal sounds like this - “sea unicorn”, which means “sea unicorn”. By the way, in the Middle Ages it was widely believed that absolutely all land animals had analogues in the marine environment, hence the many bizarre images of sea creatures in old manuscripts: rooster fish, dog fish, fox fish, and so on.
A narwhal's horn can reach 3 meters in length and weigh up to 10 kg. It usually appears only in males, but in some exceptional cases in females as well. In fact, the “horn” is one of the upper incisors, frolicking into the tusk in a horizontal direction. In total, the narwhal has two upper incisors, one of which is located inside the oral cavity. In the past, people attributed many mythical properties to this horn and hunted narwhals since ancient times precisely for the purpose of obtaining it.
By the way, scientists still do not have convincing hypotheses as to why narwhals need such a bulky structure. Initially, it was believed that it could be used by males as a weapon when winning their chosen one from other gentlemen, but in reality this never happens. Recent studies have shown that inside the entire bone tissue of the tusk is permeated with nerve fibers and endings, accordingly, it is logical to assume that it is used as a kind of tool for obtaining information about the outside world - for example, fluctuations and water temperature. However, in this case it is not clear why females are deprived of such a useful additional sense organ.
Narwhals are as talkative as beluga whales and can make a range of sounds from moos and clicks to creaks and roars.
Narwhals are true northerners who prefer not to leave the waters of the Arctic Ocean and stay near the edge of the Arctic ice. They are found off the coast of Canada, Greenland, as well as in the waters of Spitsbergen, the Franz Josef Land archipelago, Novaya Zemlya, and sometimes off the coast of the Murmansk region and in the White Sea.
Unlike beluga whales, narwhals, in principle, do not tolerate captivity and do not live in an artificial environment for more than 4 months. In the oceans, their average life expectancy reaches 55 years.
In the past, narwhals gathered in huge flocks of several thousand, but today they prefer to stay alone or in small groups of up to 10. Their real number is currently unknown to scientists.
For reference. Minke whale - interesting facts
The northern minke whale (razorback whale, Minke's whale or dwarf minke whale) is the smallest of all minke whales. It reaches about 10 meters in length and, like all its fellow minke whales, is recognizable by the characteristic stripes and folds that run from the underside of the animal’s body - from the head to the navel.
Currently, according to scientists, this species is not in danger of extinction. The northern population of minke whales numbers about 650 thousand. Today, this particular whale remains the main target of whaling in countries where it is still permitted - namely Iceland, Norway and Japan. It is mainly hunted by indigenous peoples according to quotas; there is also fishing for research purposes. Today, about 1,000 minke whales are caught per year.
Types of whales
The order Cetaceans is represented by only two suborders:
- Baleen whales (Mysticeti) . The suborder of baleen whales is characterized by the presence of baleen, as well as the presence of a filter-like layer located on the upper jaw of the mammal. Baleen plays a very important role, as it provides the ruler of the seas and oceans with food, as it participates in the important filtration process. This is important for the whale, since the diet is based on various aquatic plankton. To get it, whales have to pass large volumes of water through themselves. Baleen whales in our time are the largest representatives of the cetacean order.
- Toothed whales (Odontoceti) . The suborder of odontocetes is distinguished by the presence of teeth, which makes their diet significantly different from that of baleen whales. These representatives of cetaceans hunt squid and very large fish, which form the basis of the diet of toothed whales. Another peculiarity of toothed whales is that they master the principles of echolocation. Porpoises and dolphins belong to this suborder of cetaceans.
The suborder of baleen whales consists of 4 families, such as minke whales, gray whales, right whales and pygmy whales. These families include 10 species, such as bowhead, southern, dwarf, gray, humpback, blue whale, fin whale, sei whale, Bryde's whale, and minke whale.
The toothed whale family includes:
- Gangetic dolphin.
- Dolphinaceae.
- Narwhals.
- Sperm whales.
- Anii.
- Dwarf sperm whale.
- Beaked whales.
- Laplatan dolphin.
- Porpoises.
- River dolphin.
The third suborder consisted of ancient whales, which are now considered extinct.
Two power types
All whales descended from a common ancestor - mesonychia. 50 million years ago, this strange creature, similar to a hoofed wolf, lived along the sea coasts, hunting fish and small amphibians. In search of food, mesonychians swam further and further, and came ashore less and less often, from where they were driven away by land predators.
Evolution quietly did its job - unnecessary hind limbs disappeared, cartilaginous blades on the tail grew, and the front paws turned into flippers. At some point, whales split into two branches - baleen whales (Mysticeti) and toothed whales (Odontoceti). Some began to graze peacefully in the ocean, filtering out plankton, while others turned into fearless and swift hunters.
Whale habitat
Sperm whales today are characterized by the most extensive habitat, since they are found throughout the entire waters of the World Ocean, while they are not found in the coldest waters. The dwarf sperm whale is found in the warmest or moderately warm waters of the World Ocean.
Baleen whales inhabit the waters of various oceans, and bowhead whales live exclusively in Arctic latitudes. Bryde's minke lives in the warm zone of the World Ocean, and dwarf whales are inhabitants of cold and temperate waters of the southern hemisphere.
Where do they live?
You can meet representatives of cetaceans in all corners of the planet. Bottlenose whales, white whales and right whales tolerate cold well and spend most of their lives in polar waters. Heat-loving species include minke whales, dolphins and dwarf sperm whales. They are found in tropical and subtropical zones.
World Ocean
Most cetaceans are cosmopolitan species found throughout the world's oceans.
What do whales eat?
The diet of cetaceans is based on various food components, depending on habitat conditions and time of year. In addition, each subspecies has its own gastronomic preferences. Bowhead whales, which are planktivores, feed in the upper layers of open waters, where they catch zooplankton in the form of small crustaceans and pteropods. Gray whales, which are benthophagous whales, feed at shallow depths, and ichthyophagous whales prey on small schooling fish. Minke whales prefer a mixed diet, so their diet includes all kinds of crustaceans and fish. Sperm whales, beaked whales and gray dolphins, which are teutophagous, feed exclusively on cephalopods.
The seasonal nature of cetacean feeding allows them to gain fat. This is typical for the end of autumn, therefore during the winter period they spend part of their fatness and by the spring they have the least weight. When whales reproduce, some species do not eat food at all.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A WHALE EATS. This huge whale shocked everyone when it swallowed a man
Reproduction and offspring
Almost all whale species reproduce in warmer waters. Despite the fact that some species prefer to live in colder conditions, they migrate and their reproduction process occurs in the winter, in warmer climates.
Interesting moment! Baby whales are not only impressive in size, but also fully formed, ready to live in the water column. This is due to the fact that such aquatic animals do not have pelvic bones as such, so there are no restrictions on the maximum size of the fetus.
Female whales carry their offspring for 9 to 16 months, depending on the species. As a rule, only one whale emerges into the light, tail first. After birth, the calf floats to the surface of the water, where it takes its first breath. The offspring quickly adapt to new living conditions, demonstrating confidence and swimming skills. They try to stay close to their mother, which greatly facilitates the process of moving and also serves as protection from natural enemies.
The newly born offspring feed quite often, sucking on the mother's nipple almost every 15 minutes. It should be noted that the baby whales do not have to strain particularly hard to get a portion of milk, since it is itself injected into the cubs’ mouths, due to the contraction of special muscles. Depending on the size of the mammal, the amount of milk can vary and its volume can range from 200 ml to 200 liters.
Cetacean milk is quite thick, creamy in color and almost 10 times more nutritious than regular cow's milk. Thanks to its special properties, this milk does not spread in water. The mother feeds her cubs with milk for 4 months or almost a whole year. Often she stops feeding the baby milk because she is pregnant again.
Whales have a well-developed sense of parental instinct, so whales never leave their young in danger. If at low tide a baby whale suddenly finds itself in shallow water, the female will always wait until high tide to pick up her baby and take him to a safe place. Adult whales always bravely rushed towards the calves that were hit by the whalers' harpoons, trying to pull them away from the ship. Man took advantage of such boundless devotion of whales and thus lured adult individuals.
It is important to know! Beluga whales are easy to train, so they can be seen in various dolphinariums and circuses. The babies of these whales are the most highly valued.
Whales are characterized by the fact that they are very touching not only towards their own young, but also towards the young of their relatives. Almost all representatives of the cetacean order will never leave their wounded or sick brothers in trouble, trying to help them.
A whale that is too weak, if it does not have the strength to rise to the surface of the water to take a breath of air, is helped by healthier relatives. They surround the weak whale and help it rise to the surface. After that, they support it until the whale takes in enough air.
Solovetsky Islands
Best places to watch
: Beluga Cape Whale
species:
beluga whale
Best season
: June to August, during low tide
The Solovetsky Islands are the most accessible point for residents of the European part of Russia where you can see a real whale, namely the “singing” beluga whale. In the summer months, at low tide, beluga whales come so close to the western tip of the Big Solovetsky Island that they can be observed directly from land - from Cape Beluga. This is the only place like this on earth where you can admire beluga whales without going out to the open sea.
However, you should keep in mind that getting to the observation point is not so easy - you will have to walk about 12 km. There are options to get to Beluga Cape by pleasure boat, but this is impossible in stormy weather; in addition, beluga whales are quite shy and will not allow a motorized vessel to get close enough to them.
For reference. Beluga whale - interesting facts about beluga whales
The beluga whale, also known as the “polar dolphin,” reaches a size of 5–6 meters. Today, about 27,000 beluga whales live in Russian territorial waters alone. They appear in the Bering, White, Okhotsk, they inhabit the Bering, White, Barents, Okhotsk and our other seas. And during river floods, they can even enter the mouths of the Ob, Lena, and Yenisei.
This whale is interesting, first of all, for the amazing palette of sounds that it uses for echolocation, for which it received the nickname “singing”. Beluga whales can make about 50 different sounds - moo, whistle, gurgle, click, sigh, squeak and roar... and all these sounds replace each other instantly and unexpectedly. This is where the roots of the expression “roar like a beluga” come from. There is also a more affectionate expression - “sea canary” - this is how sailors call the “singing” northern whale.
Unlike other whales, the beluga whale can turn its head due to more mobile cervical vertebrae. These whales live in pods and migrate throughout their lives along the same route: in winter they stay near the edge of the polar ice, in spring they move south into shallow water to remove the dead layer of skin by rubbing against pebbles. By the way, beluga whales remember the place of their birth and strive to return there every year. ____________________
Of course, these are not all the places in Russia where you can see whales. The free rulers of the seas know no boundaries between countries, regions and regions and inhabit the entire World Ocean, including without exception all the seas of the Arctic and Pacific Oceans that wash the territory of our country. In fact, an encounter with your whale can happen almost anywhere. We wish that it definitely takes place - at least once in your life. And for this, let's try to make our possible contribution to protecting the environment and preserving the diversity of the world's oceans as a whole.
Natural enemies of whales
Active cetacean fishing is considered the main factor that influences whale mortality. Despite this, cetaceans suffer from various severe parasitic infestations. Quite often, animals suffer from skin ailments, including ulcers, fungal infections, and malignant neoplasms in the form of acne. There are frequent cases of skeletal damage, in the form of severe bone tumors, as well as complex bone growths.
The problems of large marine inhabitants do not end there, since jaw distortions are possible, as well as dental problems, muscle problems, tumors and abscesses of the lungs, purulent pneumonia, cirrhosis of the liver, gastric ulcers, stones in the ureters, and contact infectious diseases.
Quite often, small species of whales, as well as dolphins, die in fights with killer whales. All sorts of parasites, such as trematodes, cestodes and nematodes, cause great damage to the overall number of whales. Barnacles, as well as whale lice, are considered the most common ectoparasites of the order Cetaceans.
Population and species status
It should be noted that the populations of the cetacean order are declining from year to year, and at a tremendous rate. Many factors contributed to this, such as significant changes in habitat with significant degradation, as well as thoughtless fishing just for the sake of extracting whale oil or whalebone. Today, Gangetic dolphins are so small in number that they are listed in the International Red Book under the status of “Endangered Species”. The total number of Pacific gray whales is only a few hundred individuals, with only two dozen females. February 19 is considered World Whale Day, as on this day in 1986, all commercial whale hunting activities were banned.
Therefore, in our time, any hunting of many species of whales that are on the verge of extinction is prohibited. Such marine inhabitants include the blue whale, bowhead whale, gray and humpback whale. They have suffered quite seriously due to mindless harvesting for fat.
The Red Book of Russia includes such species of whales as the small killer whale, 3 species of dolphins, the Black Sea bottlenose dolphin, the porpoise, the narwhal, as well as many species of the cetacean order. In fact, listing many animals in the Red Books does not in any way guarantee their protection from complete extinction.
Whales and man
Man began to hunt whales the moment he learned to use various watercraft. When catching whales, people obtained a lot of fat, a lot of bones and highly valuable whalebone. Such hunting continues today, despite existing prohibitions. Lard and fat are used to make margarine, glycerin and soap, and whale bones are used to make all kinds of jewelry, corsets, dishes, figurines and other crafts, which are highly valued among tourists.
Naturally, whale meat is also used. Various dishes are prepared from it, as well as sausages, sausages, cutlets, pates and jellied meat. Various healthy and tasty canned foods are also prepared from whale meat.
Important point! Many countries have significantly limited the harvest of whales, not only for industrial purposes, but also for the needs of research centers, including the needs of indigenous peoples.
This Man Was Swallowed by a Whale, But What Happened Next Amazed Everyone
