Whale facts

Whales belong to the order cetacea, which means that they are mammals fully adapted to aquatic life. Like all cetaceans, including porpoises and dolphins, whales are descendants of land-living animals which returned to water after living millions of years in land. There are two different kinds of whales, the baleen and the toothed whale.

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Dolphins are toothed whales. The famous “killer whale,” is really a large dolphin, and they can grow up to 30 feet in length.Source

Blowhole
Whales breathe via blowholes; baleen whales have two and toothed whales have one. These are located on the top of the head, allowing the animal to remain mostly submerged whilst breathing. Breathing involves expelling excess water from the blowhole, forming an upward spout, followed by inhaling air into the lungs. Spout shapes differ among species and can help with identification. Source
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Humpback whales

They are well known for breaching, and their complex songs. The name humpback whale describes the motion it makes as it arches its back out of the water in preparation for a dive. They have a very inventive feeding technique called bubble net fishing. A group of Humpback whales swim rapidly in wide circles around and under a school of fish, blowing air through their blowholes. The bubbles form a visual barrier that serves to confine the school within an even tighter area.

One humpback whale or more then suddenly swim upwards and through the bubble net, mouths agape, swallowing thousands of fish in one gulp. This technique can involve a ring of bubbles up to 30 metres in diameter and the cooperation of a dozen animals at once. It is perhaps the most spectacular act of cooperation among marine mammals. Source



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