10 Fun Whale Facts
Humpback whale photo by Michael Dawes.
If you want to learn more about whales, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some facts about whales that you might not have known! Did you know that…
- The Blue Whale is the largest known mammal that has ever lived, with a length of up to 105ft long and weight of 150 tons. That’s the weight equivalent of 150 small cars!
- Whales are mammals, which means they need to come up for air, unlike fish which can breathe underwater.
- Male whales are called bulls, and females are called cows. Their young are called calves.
- Most of the whales we see on our whale watches don’t have teeth! Instead, they have baleen, plates that filter out small fish from water. They then swallow their food whole.
- Baleen whales include humpback whales, right whales, blue whales, and fin whales. These are whales without teeth.
- Female baleen whales are larger than males.
- Humpback whales are easy to tell apart by the markings on the underside of their tail fins. Each one has a unique pattern on his or her tail.
- Humpback whales only eat in summer, feeding off their fat reserves during the winter.
- Orcas, also known as Killer Whales, are some of the top predators in the marine world. They feed mostly on fish, but some hunt seals, sea lions, and walruses.
- Some cultures see whales as divine beings, such as in some places in Ghana and the Vietnamese, who occasionally hold funerals for beached whales.
- Pilot Whales and Killer Whales may have the word “whale” in their name, but for classification purposes, they are actually considered dolphins.
To learn more fun facts about whales, subscribe to our blog or just come out for a whale watch with us in Provincetown. And if you have any whale questions, leave a comment and we’ll be happy to answer!
Filed Under: Whales / Tags: Facts, Humpback Whales, Killer Whales, Pilot Whales, Whales
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