Facts about Whales: 10 Things You Probably Don’t Know About It
FACTS ABOUT WHALES – The whale is a popular animal but here are ten (10) things that many people don’t know about this mammal.
One of the most popular underwater mammals is the whale. In fact, it is even more known to most kids compared with other animals. There are actually different kinds of whales and there are several unknown facts about whales.
10 Facts about Whales
1. Two main groups of whales
Based on an article on WWF, there are two (2) main groups of whales – the baleen whale and the toothed whale. The baleen whales have fibrous plates in their mouths instead of teeth.
2. Humpback whales don’t eat much
Not known to many is that humpback whales don’t eat for most of the year because they migrate from their breeding grounds to the Antarctic. They have huge fat reserves.
3. Toothed whales have a “melon” on their forehead
The melon in the forehead of toothed whales is essential for communication and echolocation. They use it to see.
4. Some whales eat through bubbles
Some whales blow bubbles to trap their prey as their prey won’t cross the bubbles making it easier for them to catch and eat them.
5. The Antarctic is home to thousands of blue whales before
History holds that there were more than 225,000 Antarctic blue whales before but now their number falls below 3,000.
6. Whales are usually caught in nets
Whales are usually caught many times in their lives with nets. In the whale population in the North Atlantic, it is estimated that more than 80% of them have experienced net traps.
7. The male narwhals is a unique whale
One of the fascinating facts about whales is that there is this whale that develops tusk from a tooth – the male narwhals.
8. The origin of the name narwhal
Based on the article, the name “narwhal” came from old Norse which means “corpse whale as their skin color is similar to a drowned sailor.
9. A type of whale is the largest animal on the planet
Are you familiar with the Atlantic Blue whale? It is the biggest animal on the planet and it eats about 3,600 kilogram of krill daily.
10. Killer Whales are not actually whales
You read it right. This is one of the surprising facts about whales. Based on the article, they are “orcas” – the largest species of dolphins.
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