Whales live in groups, and each group is made up of families or pods. Neither actual mating of blue whales nor birth of a calf have been observed in modern times, and the breeding grounds for some populations are still unknown. in the mouth and the large tongue. provide the propulsive power in all Cetaceans with the forelimbs Due to this fact, whales are never able to fall completely asleep because if they did, there is a good chance they would drown. " r,i=o\\\"\\\"o,=l.xelgnhtl,o=;lhwli(e.xhcraoCedtAl(1/)3=!29{)rt{y+xx=l;=+;" + Credit: Mike Johnson. While we may never know exactly what goes on in an animals mind, we, Read More What Do Animals Think of Humans?Continue. They also had to survive against predators that were already living in the ocean well before them. Credit: H. Ryono, Aquarium of the Pacific, Blue whale 'poop'. They feed about 100 meters under the water as this is where you will find large groups of krill. Today blue whales are listed as endangered both federally and by the IUCN Red List. //22\\\\00\\\\01\\\\\\\\23\\\\04\\\\01\\\\\\\\VV5.03\\\\\\\\01\\\\0" + "7\\\\01\\\\\\\\4D00\\\\\\\\17\\\\05\\\\00\\\\\\\\17\\\\07\\\\00\\\\\\\\36\\" + Krill is a small, shrimp-like crustacean, and the blue whale can eat up to four tons of krill per day. WebBlue Whales never fall asleep and if they would sleep completely they would drown. Whales have to adapt to a purely aquatic lifestyle. Its growth is rapid as it gains about 90 kg (198 lb) per day or 3.7 kg (8.2 lb) per hour. When fully grown, blue whales can reach lengths of 70 to nearly 90 feet and weigh as much as 300,000 pounds. Blue whales live in nearly all corners of the worlds ocean except for the Arctic. | Arctic Travel | These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. of lots of identical peg-like (but often very sharp!) Thankfully, their throats expand to accommodate all that food! Antarctica and covered in more detail on this site. "G\\\\30\\\\00\\\\00\\\\\\\\10\\\\0p\\\\7p17\\\\\\\\7l17\\\\\\\\efz>obsemg\\" + Through the years the Navy observers ignored the natural sounds of the ocean as they listened intently for the man-made noises of submarines. Like other whale and dolphin species, blue whales communicate with vocals and nonverbal body language. Another adaptation whales developed to protect themselves is related to size. The fluke, or tail fin, is moved in an up-down motion to push the animal forward. Photo from http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=41, Image of Blue Whale body parts. Blue whales are massive and you guessed it! 1. Research has indicated that these whales may depend on low frequency and high decibel sounds to communicate, find krill swarms, reproduce, and possible navigate. Whale behavior is incredibly diverse and fascinating, with each species exhibiting unique behaviors. The different whale feeding patterns are behavioral adaptations. Blue whales are the only animals known to breach (jump out of the water and back in again), and this behavior is used for mating or to defend their young. Image from http://www.whales.org.au/discover/blue/blued.html, Mother Blue Whale and her young. Max perutz. Sometimes fish, copepods, and other small animals will get caught up in the mix and be eaten by the whales. Some researchers believe this behavior may help the whale find food or avoid danger. Their stubby and tiny (for an animal this size) dorsal fin is located three-quarters of the way along the back of their body. Numerous would-be predators often pass these large marine mammals because they are too large to be successfully attacked. Commercial whaling of this species peaked in 1931, and in 1966 the International Whaling Commission declared them a protected species worldwide. North Atlantic Right Whale https://www.ecori.org/narragansett-bay/2019/3/12/right-whale-births-up-this-winter-but-species-faces-extinction. The two species preferred by the California blue whale population are Euphausia pacifica and Thysanoessa spinifera. Having blubber allows whales to maintain their body heat and survive in frigid environments that would otherwise be uninhabitable. Most migrate to warm tropical and subtropical waters in winter months for calving and breeding. The pectoral fins on either side of the whale are used to steer. The largest animal to have ever lived, need we say more? Prairie dogs are a keystone species of the North American grasslands, and their behavior is fascinating to observe. Wombats are nocturnal animals and spend most of their time eating, sleeping, and grooming. The slender pointed flippers are short for the body size. A teacher walks into the Classroom and says If only Yesterday was Tomorrow Today would have been a Saturday Which Day did the Teacher make this Statement?