Who do you imagine when you hear about whales? Someone will think of a huge blue giant, the most powerful marine animal. And someone will remember the killer whales because of the famous movie "Free Willy". But no matter what marine life you imagine, the question always arises: what does a whale breathe with? How can he stay under water for a long time? Let's try to answer these questions.
Appearance
Whales are huge mammals that are distributed throughout the world. These giants live in all oceans, both warm and cold. A feature of their appearance is the grandiose size. So, it is the largest. It can reach a length of more than 30 meters and weigh up to 150 tons. But there are also small species, the size of which does not exceed 2 meters.
Interestingly, the head of the whales is huge and reaches 1/3 of the length of the entire body. The neck is very short and not noticeable. This raises the question: how does the whale breathe, does it have nostrils like all mammals? It turns out there is. On the head, or rather on its uppermost part, there is a breathing hole. It must be said that toothed whales have only one nostril on their heads, while baleen whales have two. We all remember the illustrations where the whale is depicted with a fountain over its head. So this fountain is formed when the whale exhales moist air, and by the appearance of the fountain itself, you can recognize the type of cetaceans.
Another common indicator of whales is the presence of powerful fins. Moreover, in different species they differ in size. It is this feature that gives them the ability to develop considerable speed and gives excellent maneuverability. Interestingly, humpback whales have the largest pectoral fins, similar to giant wings. And a blow from a blue whale's tail can easily sink a ship.
Structural features
Another distinctive feature is that the whale is a warm-blooded animal, unlike all other inhabitants of the oceans. This explains the fact that he can live in all seas, regardless of the ambient temperature. A huge fat layer, which in some whales reaches 1 meter, protects the animal from hypothermia. Interestingly, there is no fat in the tail, and this explains why the whale does not overheat while in warm tropical waters.
The animal brain is also unique. Hearing is most developed in cetaceans. Everyone knows the fact that the songs of whales can be heard at a distance of tens of kilometers. They also have excellent echolocation, thanks to which the giants communicate perfectly, as well as hunt and move in the water column. Their eyesight is also well developed. With the help of a protective fluid produced by certain glands, the whale is able to see clearly underwater. All other sense organs are rather poorly developed.
The system has its own characteristics: the whale's lungs are not connected with the larynx. Thus, when inhaling, water is not swallowed. The nasal openings, located on the top of the head, are directly connected to the lungs. But how does a whale breathe underwater? The answer is simple: like all mammals, it holds its breath underwater. Its nostrils close when immersed like valves. The brain instructs the entire body to turn on a kind of economical mode, as a result of which oxygen is supplied only to the heart and brain. This allows the whales to dive to depths of up to 2,000 meters.
baleen whales
This detachment of cetaceans is the largest of all existing. It includes: fin whale, sei whale, humpback, or humpback and also minke whale. All these animals have one structural feature - they have no teeth, but instead of them there are horny plates called whalebones. It is from this feature that the detachment got its name.
They feed on small plankton or small fish that come across on their way. An interesting way of feeding these animals. The whale opens its huge mouth and swallows a trifle along with huge amount water. Then, with the help of a giant tongue, he pushes the water out like a piston, and the food that gets caught remains within the mouth without passing through the mustache. In this way, the whale absorbs up to 6 tons of plankton per day.
toothed whales
As everyone knows, this detachment has sharp teeth. Everyone has it separate species they differ in size and shape. This category includes sperm whales, killer whales and dolphins. They differ in taste preferences. Dolphins, for example, love to hunt for fish, while killer whales prefer seals and fur seals in their diet. sperm whales more hunt squid and cuttlefish, while they dive to very great depths.
All toothed whales are excellent hunters. Often killer whales, which are also called killer whales, can attack large baleen whales. Their favorite delicacy is huge tongues, the rest of the whale is of little interest to them. Since baleen whales are mostly solitary animals, and toothed whales are gregarious, attacks often occur.
Birth of babies
Since the whale is a warm-blooded animal, the cubs are born fully formed, like all mammals. What does a whale breathe when it is born? The baby is born tail first and, thanks to a caring mother, takes its first breath immediately after birth. The female pushes him to the surface so that the respiratory system will work in full, and the lungs will open, just like in humans.
It is also interesting that little whales feed on milk. An adult has two mammary glands, but the kitten does not suck milk, like all mammals, but receives it by injection. Next to the nipple is a system of muscles that perform this function. In addition, milk is very fatty and thick, so the baby gains weight very quickly - up to 100 kilograms per day. The mother and baby stay on the surface, as the cub cannot yet be under water for a long time. As the whale grows, it improves in swimming and diving.
Whale songs
The way whales communicate is also unique. These creatures are capable of performing melodies. Often their singing is so harmonious and beautiful that it can calm and even lull a person. It should be noted that not all giants sing. Especially these abilities are possessed by humpback whales, which are even called singing. Why they make such sounds is still not known. These are supposedly marriage songs, but they may change from season to season.
The whale breathes with lungs. This is an amazing sea creature, which has many more mysteries that are incomprehensible to us. Until the middle of the 20th century, whales were simply destroyed for the needs of mankind, and today many of them are under protection.
Cetaceans (lat. Cetacea) are a detachment of mammals that are fully adapted to life in the water. Cetaceans, together with artiodactyls, are sometimes referred to as an extrasystematic group of cetaceans. In everyday life, whales are called all cetaceans, except for dolphins and porpoises. Cetaceans are the largest known animals that have ever lived on Earth.
The scientific name cētus and the Russian whale come from the Greek κῆτος "sea monster".
About 30 species of cetaceans are found in the waters of Russia.
Appearance
Cetaceans have a fusiform, streamlined body, smooth skin, and virtually no hair. A thick layer of fat protects against hypothermia. The forelimbs are transformed into flippers, the hind limbs are atrophied. The tail ends in a large horizontal fin.
Origin
Whales are believed to have evolved from artiodactyl land mammals that transitioned to a semi-aquatic lifestyle about 50 million years ago.
There are different theories about the origin of whales. Whales, dolphins, and porpoises were thought to have descended from a group of land mammals called the Mesonychia. These creatures looked like wolves, but had hooves like cows and deer. They lived approximately 60 million years ago around the ancient Tethys Sea, in what is now the Mediterranean Sea and part of the Asian subcontinent.
Mesonychia probably hunted fish and other aquatic animals in coastal swamps and estuaries. As they spent more and more time in the water, their bodies began to change. They became more streamlined and developed powerful, flattened tails. Their forelimbs gradually turned into fins, and their hind limbs degraded. A thick layer of subcutaneous fat appeared, and the hairline began to disappear. To facilitate breathing from the surface of the water, their nostrils moved to the top of their heads and gradually turned into blowholes.
New molecular genetic data suggest that cetaceans are close relatives of artiodactyls, in particular hippos. Based on these data, it is even proposed to include cetaceans in the artiodactyl order, and the name Cetartiodactyla is proposed for a monophyletic taxon that includes these two groups.
Recent studies have shown that the connecting link was the Indochius genus, which lived in Pakistan and outwardly resembled modern deer. During the Eocene, the ancestors of whales gradually adapted to life in the sea, filling the ecological niche that was vacated after the extinction of mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Over time, they lost all connection with the land and acquired new adaptive features, having lost the features characteristic of terrestrial mammals.
Classification
Three suborders of cetaceans separated from common ancestors, uniting 127 extinct and 38 living genera: ancient whales (archaeocetes), baleen (or toothless) whales (mystacocetes) and toothed whales (odonocetes). The modern two suborders sharply differ from each other both in external and internal structure, and in biology. Toothless whales have instead of teeth a row of horny plates that hang from the upper jaw, called "whalebone", with which they filter marine plankton from the water.
general description
The order includes highly specialized mammals that have adapted to permanent life in the water. Outwardly, cetaceans resemble fish, but differ from the latter in the presence of warm-bloodedness, pulmonary respiration, the presence of remnants of hair, intrauterine development of the fetus and milk feeding of cubs, and other features that unite them with other mammals.
The sizes of cetaceans are the largest among mammals: the average body length of a blue whale is 25 m, weight - 90-120 tons. The smallest cetaceans are the white-bellied dolphin and Hector's dolphin, belonging to the genus of variegated dolphins (Cephalorhynchus): their body length does not exceed 120 cm, weight - 45 kg.
Tail lobes of a humpback whale
The least water resistance when swimming with cetaceans is provided by a streamlined body of a torpedo or teardrop shape. This is also facilitated by the disappearance of the hairline and auricles. The skin of cetaceans is characterized by great elasticity, elasticity and non-wetting, which reduces friction during fast swimming.
The head is usually massive; ends bluntly, pointed or extended into a "beak" (rostrum). The head, almost without visible cervical interception, passes into the trunk, which gradually narrows into the caudal peduncle.
The forelimbs have evolved into flat and rigid pectoral fins (flippers), which serve mainly as "rudders of depth", and also provide turns and braking. The carpal parts of the flippers are not externally dissected, and sometimes they are fused internally.
The free hind limbs have atrophied, although rudiments of the pelvic bones are found in some species.
The caudal part of the body is laterally flattened; it is very flexible and muscular, serves as the main locomotor organ. At its end there are paired, horizontal tail blades.
In addition, most species have an unpaired dorsal fin on their back, which serves as a kind of stabilizer when swimming.
The caudal and dorsal fins are skin formations and are devoid of a skeleton; inside them is cartilage tissue.
The pectoral, dorsal, and especially the caudal fins have variable elasticity, which is provided by special blood vessels. The elasticity of the fins depends on the swimming speed. In addition to the locomotor fins, they perform a thermoregulatory function: excess heat escapes through them first of all.
Skin glands are absent in cetaceans; the exception is 2 mammary glands, which are located in the back half of the body. The nipples (2) are placed in longitudinal skin pockets on the sides of the urogenital fissure and only protrude outward in lactating females. Under the skin is a layer of adipose tissue (blubber) with a thickness of 2.5 to 30 cm.
Subcutaneous fat protects the body from hypothermia, helps retain water in the body, which would otherwise diffuse into the body. environment, and is also an energy reserve for the duration of hunger strikes. Body temperature due to good insulation with a fatty layer ranges from 35 to 40 ° C.
The hairline is absent. In baleen whales, individual bristle-like hairs grow on the muzzle, similar to vibrissae of terrestrial mammals; they serve as an organ of touch. In toothed whales, only the Gangetic dolphin and the Amazonian inia, living in muddy river water, have vibrissae in the adult state; in most other toothed whales, only embryos have vibrissae.
The coloration of cetaceans can be monophonic, anti-shadow (dark above and light below) or spotted. In some species, it is subject to age variability.
Skeleton
The skeleton of cetaceans is spongy. There are from 41 to 98 vertebrae in the spine, forming 4 sections: a strongly shortened cervical (always from 7 vertebrae, the total length of which does not exceed 15 cm), thoracic, lumbar and caudal. The thoracic region bears 10-17 pairs of ribs, of which only the first 2-8 pairs are articulated with the sternum.
Intervertebral discs give the spine, especially its caudal part, greater flexibility and mobility. The hind limbs and sacral spine are usually lost, and the pelvic bones are rudimentary and not connected to the spine. The pectoral fin is supported by a very short humerus, two forearm bones, and numerous hand bones, sometimes fused into a lobe-like structure.
Skeleton of a baleen whale (rudiments of the pelvic bones are visible)
The skull of whales is adapted to a specific way of breathing - the nostrils are shifted to the crown. The nasal bones are reduced; the parietals are shifted to the side so that the superior occipital bone is in contact with the frontal bones. The bones of the jaws are elongated due to an increase in the number of teeth or the development of a filtering apparatus.
The teeth of all whales are in an embryonic state, but in baleen whales they atrophy without erupting, and are replaced by fringed horny plates of the so-called. whalebone. In toothed whales, teeth are conical, homogeneous, undifferentiated into incisors, canines and molars. Their greatest number is observed in the prodolphin Stenella longirostris: from 172 to 252 teeth. The narwhal has the fewest teeth: 2 teeth in the upper jaw, and in females they usually do not erupt, and in the male, the left tooth is turned into a long tusk.
Digestive organs
The tongue is well developed, soft lips are absent. There are no salivary glands or they are rudimentary. Cetaceans swallow prey whole without chewing. The stomach is complex, multi-chambered; able to stretch and hold up to 1.5 tons of food (blue whale). The first, glandless, section of the stomach is a lower protrusion of the esophagus and serves for maceration and mechanical processing of food; absent in beaked whales.
The cardial section is abundantly supplied with glandular cells that secrete digestive juices; it is folded, highly extensible, sometimes bi- or tripartite. The pylorus is the enlarged anterior portion of the duodenum. The length of the intestine exceeds the length of the body: from 4-5 times (in the Gangetic dolphin and bottlenose) to 15-16 times (sperm whale) and even up to 32 times (La Plata dolphin).
Respiratory and circulatory organs
There are 2 external nostrils in baleen whales and 1 in toothed whales. They are shifted to the top of the head and are equipped with special valves that reflexively lock the airways when diving and unlock when diving. Due to the special structure of the larynx, the airway is separated from the esophagus, which allows the whale to breathe safely, even if there is water in the oral cavity. The nasal canal in most species is connected to special air sacs that act as a sound-signal organ.
The trachea and bronchi are shortened, which contributes to the acceleration of the act of breathing. Lungs are single-lobed with highly developed smooth muscles, allowing for one exhalation-inhalation to renew the air by 80-90% (in a normal person without physical stress, only 15%). The number of alveoli is larger and their size is larger than that of terrestrial mammals.
Cetaceans are able to stay under water from 2-10 to 30-40 minutes (sperm whale - up to 1.5 hours). The duration of the dive is provided by a large lung capacity and an increased content of myoglobin in the muscles. The oxygen capacity of the blood is increased due to the high content of hemoglobin and an increase in its concentration in erythrocytes.
The breathing process of cetaceans can be subdivided into exhalation after a long dive, intermediate breaths, and a deep breath before the next dive. When the whale floats to the surface, the air exhaled by it with force, in contact with the colder outside, forms a column of condensed vapor (fountain).
In different species of cetaceans, the fountain varies in shape and height. In large whales, exhaled air is forced through the blowhole with such force that it produces a loud trumpet sound that can be heard from a great distance in calm weather. During intermediate inhalations and exhalations, the whale dives shallowly, swimming in an almost straight line, breathing at regular intervals. The number of intermediate breathing events increases the longer the whale remains underwater during the main dive.
During the dive, the pulse in cetaceans slows down by more than 2 times, and the blood flow is redistributed so that oxygen is supplied primarily to the brain and heart muscle. Tissues less sensitive to oxygen starvation (especially the muscles of the body) switch to "starvation rations". The weak sensitivity of the respiratory center of the brain to the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the blood allows cetaceans to significantly lengthen the respiratory pause.
sense organs
The mass of the brain in cetaceans is the largest among mammals in absolute terms, reaching 7.8-9.2 kg in sperm whales, but relative to body weight it is small. So, in a blue whale, it is only 0.007% of the total mass. The brain is highly differentiated, the sense organs are developed, although not equally.
The sense of smell of cetaceans is almost lost. The olfactory lobes of the brain and olfactory nerves are completely absent (toothed whales) or present in their infancy (baleen whales). Taste, apparently, is rather poorly developed; it is assumed that whales are able to taste the salinity of water and detect their relatives in the urine and feces.
The sense of touch is excellently developed; the skin is richly innervated. Baleen whales retain sparse tactile hairs on their heads that act as vibrissae and play a role in searching for massive accumulations of plankton. Toothed whales, feeding on single and relatively large prey, do not need vibrissae; the exception is river dolphins living in muddy waters.
The eyes are located on the sides of the head and are relatively small: in large whales, the eye has a mass of about 1 kg, in small dolphins the size of a dog's eye. The eyelids are undeveloped. The cornea and sclera are thick and dense. The eyeball is almost spherical, somewhat flattened anteriorly. The lens has a rounded shape. Vision in many species is monocular, with no common field of vision. Cetaceans are generally nearsighted, with the exception of dolphins. The lacrimal glands are reduced; the nasolacrimal passage is absent. From the mechanical and chemical effects of water, the eyes are protected by the fatty secretion of the Harder gland. There are conjunctival glands not known in other mammals.
The organs of hearing are greatly modified. The auricle is missing. The ear canal is narrowed and opens behind the eye with a small opening; apparently serves as a separate sensory organ that perceives pressure changes. The eardrum curves outward (baleen whales) or inward (toothed whales). Cetaceans perceive sound through the bones of the skull and lower jaw, whose posterior end comes close to the region of the inner ear and is innervated by a branch of the trigeminal nerve.
The structure of the inner ear in cetaceans is very complex, with an enlarged cochlea. Sound for aquatic organisms is the most important source of information, since sound vibrations travel 5 times faster in water than in air. Cetaceans are capable of picking up sound waves in the range from 150 Hz to ultrasonic vibrations of 120-140 kHz. The hearing of toothed whales is most acute; in baleen whales it is worse compared to land mammals.
Whale songs
The characteristic V-shaped fountain of the southern right whale Eubalaena glacialis
Cetaceans emit sound signals in the same frequencies that they perceive themselves. Since they do not have vocal cords, sounds are produced as a result of the vibration of "sound lips" (toothed whales) or with the help of the larynx and pharynx (baleen whales).
The communication calls emitted by cetaceans are many and varied; there are special signals of nutrition, anxiety, fear, mating, pain, etc. Some cetaceans from the suborder Odontoceti, like bats, are capable of directional echolocation. They developed a special echolocation apparatus, consisting of a fat pad and a concave anterior surface of the skull, which act as a sound lens and reflector, concentrating the emitted ultrasonic signals and directing them in the form of a sound beam to an object.
sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is expressed mainly in the size difference between males and females. Female baleen whales are larger than males; females of most toothed whales, on the other hand, are smaller.
Adaptation to the environment
Features of the respiratory and circulatory system allow cetaceans to stay under water for a long time with one supply of air (sperm whales up to 1.5 hours). The ability of hemoglobin to bind oxygen in whales is higher than in terrestrial mammals, a significant part of the oxygen accumulates in muscle hemoglobin. When diving, the pulse slows down sharply and the supply of oxygen to organs that are less sensitive to oxygen starvation is limited.
Lifestyle
Cetaceans are distributed in all oceans and in some seas. There are cold-loving species living in polar and subpolar waters (beluga whales, narwhals, bowhead whales), heat-loving species (Bride's whale), tropical and subtropical (many dolphins, pygmy sperm whales) and species with a wide range, including cosmopolitan ones (minke whales, sperm whales, killer whales). They are found both near the coasts and in the open sea. Representatives of some species are able to climb up rivers or live permanently in rivers and estuaries.
Most species are herd animals; kept in groups from several to hundreds and thousands of heads. Meals are usually specialized; among the whales there are planktophages, teutophages, ichthyophages and saprophages.
Killer whales are the only cetaceans that regularly eat not only fish and invertebrates, but also warm-blooded animals (birds, seals, and other whales). Some species swim very fast (killer whales, many dolphins), others are relatively slow.
Most whales stay in surface waters; some can dive to considerable depths (sperm whale). As a result of adaptation to seasonal conditions of nutrition and reproduction, cetaceans have formed several biological groups.
Some species are characterized by strictly regular seasonal migrations within the northern or southern hemisphere: in the winter they swim to low latitudes for childbirth, and in the summer - to moderate and high latitudes for fattening (almost all baleen whales, some beaked whales and sperm whales).
The longest migrations of all mammals are made by gray whales, which swim up to 12,000 km a year, moving from wintering grounds off the coast of California to summer feeding grounds in the Bering Sea and back. Others also make migrations over considerable distances, but less regularly and with violations of seasonal periods (killer whales, pilot whales, sei whales, narwhals).
Still others have switched to a relatively settled way of life, making migrations within a small water area (bottle dolphins, river dolphins, gray dolphins, etc.). Cetaceans make migrations within familiar areas, adhering to certain paths.
reproduction
Mostly monogamous. Most species breed once every 2 years, only some dolphins breed annually, mating shortly after giving birth. Mating periods and puppies are usually extended in time. Males are capable of fertilization all the time or most of the year. Pregnancy in different species lasts from 7 to 18 months.
Migratory species give birth mainly in winter in warm waters; non-migratory - in summer. Multiple pregnancy is characteristic: in females at the beginning of pregnancy, 2-3 embryos can be in the uterus, of which only one soon remains. Twins are rare.
Childbirth takes place under water; the fetus comes out tail first. The cub is well developed, large - up to 1/2-1/4 of the mother's body length; immediately capable of independent movement. He performs the first respiratory act, as an unconditioned reflex, at the moment of the first emergence to the surface. From the first day, the calf swims side by side with the mother, using the pressure of the hydrodynamic field around her, which allows him to swim passively. Females have a highly developed maternal instinct.
Feeding takes place underwater; milk is consumed within seconds, but very often. The cub firmly grasps the nipple, and milk is splashed into its oral cavity by contraction of the special muscles of the female. Whale milk is highly nutritious; it is thick, usually cream-colored, with a fat content of up to 54%. It is characteristic that its surface tension is 30 times greater than that of water, so the stream of milk does not blur in water. Female whales produce per day from 200-1200 g (dolphins) to 90-150 liters (fin whale) and 200 liters (blue whale) of milk. The cub during feeding grows very quickly, by its end increasing by 1/3-1/2 of the original size. Feeding lasts from 4 months (small dolphins) to 13 (sperm whales), and in captivity even up to 21-23 months (bottle dolphins).
Puberty occurs at the age of 3-6 years, but the slow growth of the body lasts even after that, up to 12 years. Physical maturity occurs when the skeleton finally ossifies and all the epiphyses of the spine fuse with the vertebral bodies. The process of ossification of the spine begins at both ends of the spine, moreover, it proceeds faster from the caudal than from the head, and ends in the thoracic region. Successive changes in the spine are sometimes used to determine the age of a whale.
Number and importance for humans
Whaling
In the recent past, the practical importance of cetaceans for humans was quite large. Almost all whale organs were used to produce food and technical products. Fat was boiled from subcutaneous fat and skeleton, which was then processed into lard and margarine, lubricants, technical and distilled glycerin, soap, theatrical makeup, washing powder etc.
The polymerized fat was used to make linoleum and printing ink. Spermaceti of sperm whales served as a raw material for the production of cosmetic creams and lipsticks, as well as lubricants. The boiled bones, viscera and parts of the muscles were processed into fertilizer (fat) and fodder meal for livestock and poultry.
Gelatin and glue were obtained from the protein part of whale blubber. Before the development of plastics production, whalebone was used to make springs for sofas and mattresses, corsets, brushes, fans, etc. Sperm whale teeth were used for carvings. Meat in canned, salted or fresh form was used as food product. Vitamin A was extracted from the liver of whales; from the endocrine glands (pancreas and goiter), medicines were made (campolone, insulin, etc.). Ambergris, extracted from the intestines of sperm whales, is highly valued in the perfume industry as a perfume fixative.
Excessively intensive fishing has had a detrimental effect on the number of cetaceans, bringing many members of this order to the brink of extinction. Many cetaceans are listed in the International Red Book. Currently, commercial whaling is prohibited by the moratorium of the International Commission on the Regulation of Whaling and the laws of most countries and is carried out to a limited extent only by Norway, Iceland and Japan, as well as some aboriginal peoples as one of the traditional occupations.
Whales are very peculiar mammals, which, due to their constant life in the water, are more like fish. This group of animals has a characteristic appearance and at the same time has achieved considerable diversity. Whales make up a separate order of cetaceans, but this term is collective. Usually, this word means large species, small cetaceans have other names (dolphins, porpoises).
Humpback whale, or humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).
The most striking distinguishing feature of these animals is their size. Indeed, all types of whales are simply giants of the animal world. Even the smallest species (dwarf sperm whales, for example) reach a length of 2-3 m and a weight of 400 kg, and most species are 5-12 m long and weigh several tons. The largest species - the blue whale - reaches a length of 33 m and weighs 150 tons! It is several times larger than even the largest dinosaurs. The blue whale is the largest of all living creatures that have ever inhabited our planet!
All types of whales are characterized by an elongated streamlined body, a very short, inactive neck and a large head. Head size can vary greatly between species: in small whales, it is 1/5 of the body length, in large baleen whales, its size can reach 1/4, and in sperm whales, the head is 1/3 of the body. According to the structure of the teeth, two suborders of whales are distinguished - baleen and toothed. Baleen whales have no teeth at all, they are replaced by giant horny plates that hang down in their mouths like a fringe. They are called whalebone.
Whalebone in the whale's mouth.
Toothed whales have teeth, their shape and size varies from species to species. The structure of the jaws can also be different: in baleen whales, the lower jaw is much larger than the upper and similar to a bucket, in toothed whales, on the contrary, the upper jaw is larger or equal in size to the lower. Such differences are associated with the nature of the diet of these animals.
On the head of a humpback whale, the difference in the size of the upper and lower jaws is clearly visible.
The brain size of whales is relatively large, but this is primarily due to the development of the parts of the brain responsible for hearing. Whales, like dolphins, have perfect echolocation abilities, they emit sounds of various frequencies and, by their reflection (echo), they orient themselves in space, find food and communicate with each other. Just like dolphins, whales are subject to an incomprehensible pathology - they can periodically be washed ashore. Animals do this unconsciously (the ability of whales to commit suicide is nothing more than a stupid prejudice), but with such persistence that scientists are still scratching their heads over the reason for such strange behavior. Animals that have washed ashore are not always old or sick, moreover, sometimes they can be returned to the sea through the efforts of rescuers. Most likely, the root cause of such death is disturbances in the operation of the echo sounder caused by numerous radio sources (all modern navigation uses powerful sources and repeaters of radio waves). Such electromagnetic "noise" in the ocean confuses the giants and they approach the shores, moreover, accustomed to trusting their feelings, the whales stubbornly strive in the "right" direction until they run aground. Other sense organs in whales are poorly developed: the sense of smell is in its infancy, and vision is also rather weak.
On the top of the head is a breathing hole - blowhole. In more primitive baleen whales, it consists of two holes (“nostrils”), in toothed whales there is one hole. Interestingly, during exhalation, moist air from the lungs creates a kind of fountain, and its shape depends on the type of whale.
A blowhole with two nostrils on the head of a gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus).
The limbs of whales are very unusual. The front ones have turned into flattened fins, and their size can vary greatly in different species. For example, the fins of the belt-teeth and sperm whales are small, and they reach the greatest development in the humpback whale.
The long fins of the humpback whale under water resemble wings.
But the whales have no hind limbs at all, in their place in the lumbar spine there are only two small bones, to which the muscles of ... the genital organs are attached. The powerful double tail creates the driving force in the body of the whale, but these are not modified hind legs, as some believe.
The powerful tail is used by whales for movement and protection.
The coloration of whales is varied, but discreet. More often their body has a dark upper side and a lighter lower side, in some species (Bride's minke whale) there may be clearly visible stripes on the underside of the head. Species such as blue, gray whales, sperm whales have a uniform color of gray or brown.
The white whale (Delphinapterus leucas) gets its name from its rare white skin color.
Whales are distributed throughout all the oceans (and some seas) of the globe. They are found only in deep waters, as a rule they do not enter bays, estuaries and similar shallow places. Usually, whales move freely in the ocean, but their movement is not chaotic. Each species of whale has a favorite breeding ground that they visit during a particular season. The rest of the time, whales fatten up, but they do it in areas remote from breeding grounds. Thus, whales make migrations with a cycle of 1 year. During feeding, the whales swim at a speed of 10-20 km/h, but in case of danger they switch to a cruising speed of 50 km/h. Adult males and non-breeding females keep alone, females with cubs, as well as all animals during the breeding season form herds of 5-15 individuals. A peaceful situation reigns inside the herd: whales do not have an internal hierarchy, they do not show aggression towards each other, in case of danger, all members of the herd try to defend themselves by joint efforts, there are even cases of mutual assistance to wounded brethren. In general, whales, with their huge size and sluggishness, give the impression of stupid and uninteresting animals. But this is a misconception! These peculiar animals are endowed with a developed intellect and are not inferior to dolphins in intelligence. For example, there are cases when whales showed interest in underwater photographers filming them - animals approached people and even tried to play with them in their own way, pushing them to the surface. Another example: whalers tracked down a female whale with a calf and killed the latter. The carcass of the whale was transported to the place of butchering in tow. All this time, the female swam nearby and tried to remove the corpse of the cub from the rope. Captive whales in captivity quickly get used to people and are able to perform tricks (to the best of their physical abilities). Like all highly developed animals, whales love to play, while they jump high out of the water and beat their tails loudly.
Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata).
Whales feed on various marine animals, and in the diet of different species there is narrow specialization. Baleen whales eat only plankton - the smallest marine crustaceans. They get it by filtering large volumes of water. To do this, the whale opens its mouth and draws water into its mouth ...
Humpback whales act like a scoop with their open mouth.
then, with his tongue, he pushes the water out of his mouth like a piston - the water flows freely through the whalebone, and the crustaceans remain.
The whale strains water with plankton.
Toothed whales feed on fish, which are also caught not individually, but in whole flocks. Sperm whales specialize in catching deep-sea fish and shellfish (mainly squid). Many whales make long dives for hunting, they can stay under water for up to 1.5 hours. The record holders for the depth of diving are sperm whales, which were met at a depth of 1 km!
Whales are very infertile animals. Females reach puberty by 7-15 years, males - only by 15-25. Moreover, each individual participates in reproduction no more than once every 2 years. In the mating ritual of whales, not only is there no aggression, but in general any kind of struggle. Male whales win the attention of females with songs! The voice of whales is surprisingly thin for animals of this size. Each species of whale has its own set of sounds, but even individuals of the same species differ in tone of voice. The song of the whale resembles a melodic moan and sounds very loud. According to divers, when the whale sings, the water column vibrates around. Female whales can mate with several males, since there is no fight between the stronger sex, selection is very in an unusual way. It turns out that the gonads of whales are huge (in sperm whales, for example, up to 10-20% of body weight) and are capable of producing large amounts of sperm. Thus, among several males mated with one female, the one whose hormonal status is higher wins. Pregnancy various kinds lasts 11-18 months. The female gives birth to only one cub, but large and developed. For example, the weight of a newborn blue whale is 2-3 tons. The calf is born tail first and with the help of the mother rises to the surface for the first breath. The mother often feeds the cub with very fatty milk, thanks to which it grows rapidly. The lactation period in whales is relatively short - 5-7 months. During this time, the cub manages to grow 2 times, then its growth slows down sharply. For another 1.5-2 years, the cub accompanies its mother, using her protection. In small and medium-sized whales, young are kept in herds until they reach sexual maturity, and sometimes even later. Whales live 50-70 years.
Blue whale calf (Balaenoptera musculus).
It would seem that nothing can threaten such gigantic animals in this world. In reality, whales are very vulnerable to various dangers. In the ocean, whales have no enemies, except for ... their own brethren. Killer whales (giant predatory dolphins often referred to as whales) attack other cetacean species. Killer whales live in groups and act collectively, so even adult whales can hardly resist their coordinated attack, and the cubs are completely defenseless. When attacked, whales try to escape by “flight”, swimming away from a herd of killer whales to high speed. If it was not possible to break away from the pursuit, the whale tries to fight off the attackers with strong blows of the tail, the mother swims under the cub from below, trying to cover it with her body.
But even in the absence of predators, whales have enough problems. Sometimes these animals experience… hunger. Mass fishing, global warming, changing sea currents undermine the food base of whales and animals can drift for several weeks in "barren" waters. Researchers have seen extremely emaciated animals. In the Arctic Ocean, whales often get caught in ice traps. Since whales breathe air, they are forced to surface regularly to replenish their supplies. If there are no suitable polynyas around, the whales break through the ice with their heads, but they do not always succeed. With a large thickness of ice (or a small width of the polynya), entire herds of whales suffocate under the ice.
Minke whale in the Antarctic ice.
To top it all off, whales are actively hunted by people. Despite their impressive size (or rather, thanks to them), whales are attractive prey for fishing. There are no useless parts in the carcass of a whale, everything is used: fat (blubber), meat, whalebone, teeth, skin. Sperm whales are suppliers of very exotic products - spermaceti and ambergris. Spermaceti, despite the name, is not whale sperm at all, but a fat-like substance from the brain. Ambergris is found in the intestines, it has a pleasant smell, for which it got its name. Both substances are very valuable raw materials in the cosmetic industry and are extremely highly valued on the world market.
As a result of the impact of adverse factors, the number of almost all species of whales has greatly decreased, many species are on the verge of extinction. In this regard, the World Convention on the Prohibition of Whaling was adopted (especially since whaling products have lost their relevance in our time). The only country that has not signed the convention is Japan. Japanese whalers still carry out mass hunting of all whales indiscriminately, justifying themselves by the fact that whale meat is ... a traditional component of Japanese cuisine. On the other hand, tourism in whale breeding areas has gained wide popularity. Nature lovers visit such places on small boats, for the opportunity to watch whales live and hear their songs, queues line up for tour operators. Attempts to keep whales in captivity run into many obstacles: large species of whales cannot be kept because of their size, baleen whales cannot be fed with plankton, it is very difficult to catch an adult whale without killing it. Repeated attempts to catch the cubs led to the death of the babies at the stage of transportation. Only the smallest species of whales (beluga whales, pilot whales) take root in aquariums, but they do not breed there. Perhaps, the only way conservation of these unique animals is the widespread ban on their production and the comprehensive protection of water resources.
The carcass of a beached blue whale is cut up for further scientific research.
It lives in water and has a body shape similar to a fish, why then is it not considered a fish?
But because a whale is a marine mammal that comes from earthly ancestors. For many millennia spent in the water, the whales began to resemble fish in shape, but in the structure of the body and way of life they remained similar to land animals.
For example, whale fins have internal structure resembling a hand with five fingers. On the body of some whales there are even bones in place of the hind legs! But the most important difference between whales and fish is that, like all other mammals, whales feed their young with mother's milk. These cubs do not hatch from eggs or caviar, but are born alive. And for some time after birth, the kitten remains next to its mother, who takes care of it.
Since all mammals are warm-blooded, and the whale does not have fur to keep it warm in icy water, instead it has blubber, which is a layer of subcutaneous tissue filled with fat and retains heat like a fur coat.
And whales breathe differently than fish. Instead of gills, they have lungs into which they take in air through two nostrils located at the top of their heads. When whales dive underwater, these nostrils close with small flaps to keep water out. Every five to ten minutes the whale rises to the surface of the water to take a breath. First of all, he noisily spews out the exhaust air through the nostrils. As a result of this, the same "fountain" appears, which is always drawn in pictures about whales. Then he draws fresh air into his lungs and dives again to continue moving under water.
What is the biggest whale?
The largest whale is also the largest animal in the world. This is a blue whale - its length can exceed 30 meters, and its weight reaches 125 tons.
It can be found in any seas, but most often it comes across in the Pacific Ocean. It belongs to the group of toothless whales (another group is called toothed whales).
It is rather difficult to imagine that the largest animal in the world is able to do without teeth. How do they do it? In their mouth they have a device consisting of hundreds of horny plates called baleen. They grow on the palate (upper part of the mouth) and form a kind of sieve.
The blue whale feeds as follows: with its mouth wide open, it quickly swims through the accumulation of prey, which consists mainly of small mollusks, shrimps and fish. Closing his mouth, he forcefully pushes water out of it. Water is filtered through the whalebone, and the prey remains. The mouth of a whale resembles a huge container. And the length of his head is about a third of the length of the body.
Among toothed whales, sperm whales are the largest. They have a huge head and reach 20 meters in length. The killer whale, or killer whale (actually a large dolphin), is the only cetacean that feeds on other warm-blooded animals. The length of the killer whale is about 9 meters, and it easily overtakes the seals. Flocks of killer whales attack even large whales.
Due to the fact that whales live in the water and have a fish-like body, we often compare them to fish. But the structure of the skeleton, the circulatory system and the brain, they are not at all like fish.
What can be obtained from whales?
At one time whaling was very important. Now, for most of us, the very idea of whaling may seem a little strange. What use can we get from these huge creatures?
But it turns out that the amount of valuable products obtained as a result of whale hunting is very large. So, excellent fat is obtained from whale blubber (fatty subcutaneous tissue). This fat is used for lamps, and it is also used in the manufacture of soap.
Many whales have very tasty meat. Fertilizer is made from their bones. From sperm whales, spermaceti is obtained - or fat, which is located in the head cavity. Spermaceti is used to make ointments, cosmetics, and suppositories.
Ambergris is also obtained from sperm whales, a very valuable substance produced in their intestines, which is used in the manufacture of perfumes. The teeth of the sperm whale and the tusk of the narwhal are a very valuable bone, comparable to ivory. And from the skin of a white whale they produce something like leather.
Did you know that all cetaceans are mammals? Their ancestors once lived on land. They still have fins that look like five-fingered hands. But for many millennia, living in the water, they have adapted to such a life.
A whale is a marine animal of the chordate type, class mammals, order cetaceans (Cetacea). The whale got its modern name, consonant in many languages, from the Greek word kitoc, literally meaning "sea monster".
Anatomically, the whale has teeth, but in some species they are in an undeveloped state. In toothless baleen whales, teeth are replaced by bony plates called baleen and adapted for filtering food.
And only representatives of toothed whales grow identical cone-shaped teeth.
The spine of a whale can contain from 41 to 98 vertebrae, and due to the spongy structure of the skeleton, elastic intervertebral discs give the body of animals special maneuverability and plasticity.
The cervical interception is absent, and the head smoothly passes into the body, which tapers noticeably towards the tail. The pectoral fins of the whale are modified and turned into flippers that perform the function of steering, turning and braking. The caudal region of the body is flexible and muscular, has a slightly flattened shape and acts as a motor. At the end of the tail there are blades that have a horizontal arrangement.
Most species of whales have an unpaired dorsal fin that acts as a stabilizer when moving in the water column.
The skin of the whale is smooth, hairless, only on the muzzle of baleen whales grow single hairs, bristles, similar to the whiskers of land animals.
The color of the whale is monophonic, spotted or anti-shadow, when the top of the animal is dark and the bottom is light. In some species, body color changes with age.
Due to the absence of olfactory nerves, whales have almost completely lost their sense of smell. Taste buds are poorly developed, therefore, unlike other mammals, whales distinguish only salty taste. The sight of whales is poor, for the most part these animals are short-sighted, but they have conjunctival glands that are absent in other animals.
In terms of whale hearing, the complex anatomy of the inner ear allows whales to distinguish between sounds ranging from 150 Hz to the lowest ultrasonic frequencies. And due to the richly innervated skin of all whales, they have an excellent sense of touch.
Whales communicate with each other. The absence of vocal cords does not prevent whales from talking and making special sounds with the help of an echolocation apparatus. The concave bones of the skull, together with the fat layer, act as a sound lens and reflector, directing a beam of ultrasonic signals in the right direction.
Most whales are quite slow, but if necessary, the speed of the whale can be 20 - 40 km / h.
The life expectancy of small whales is about 30 years, large whales live up to 50 years.
Where do whales live?
Whales live in all oceans. Most species of whales are herd animals and prefer to live in groups of several tens and even thousands of individuals. Some species are subject to constant seasonal migrations: in winter, whales swim to warm waters, where they give birth, and in summer they fatten in temperate and high latitudes.
What does a whale eat?
Most whales eat a certain type of food:
- planktophages eat only plankton;
- teutophages prefer to eat cephalopods;
- ichthyophages eat only live fish;
- saprophages (detritivores) consume decomposed organic matter.
And only one animal from the order of cetaceans, the killer whale, feeds not only on fish, but also on pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, penguins), as well as other whales, dolphins and their cubs.
A killer whale swims after a penguin
Types of whales with photos and names.
The modern classification divides the order of cetaceans into 2 main suborders:
- toothless or mustachioed whales (Mysticeti);
- toothed whales (Odontoceti), which include dolphins, killer whales, sperm whales and porpoises.
The cetacean order forms 38 genera, which combine over 80 known species. Among this diversity, several varieties can be distinguished:
- , he is hunchback or long-armed minke whale(Megaptera novaeangliae)
got its name from the convex fin on the back, resembling a hump. The body length of the whale reaches 14.5 meters, in some specimens - 18 meters. The average weight of a humpback whale is 30 tons. The humpback whale differs from other representatives of the family of minke whales by a shortened body, a variety of colors and several rows of warty leathery protrusions on the top of the head. Humpback whales live throughout the world's oceans, except for the Arctic and Antarctic. Representatives of the North Atlantic population feed exclusively on fish: capelin, saffron cod, pollock, sardines, herring, haddock. The rest of the whales eat small crustaceans, various mollusks and small schooling fish.
- Gray whale (California whale) (Eschrichtius robustus, Eschrichtius gibbosus)
the only whale of its kind that practices eating food from the bottom of the ocean: the animal plows the mud with a special keel-shaped outgrowth located under the lower jaw. The basis of the food of the gray whale is made up of many organisms that live on the bottom: annelids, snails, bivalves and other mollusks, amphipods, egg capsules and sea sponges, as well as small fish species. Gray whales at a mature age have a body length of up to 12-15 m, the average weight of a whale varies from 15 to 35 tons, and females are larger than males. The body is brown-gray or dark brown, reminiscent of rocky shores. This species of whale lives in the Sea of Okhotsk, Chukchi and Bering Seas, in winter it migrates to the Gulf of California and to the southern coast of Japan. Gray whales are record holders among animals for the duration of migrations - the distance covered by animals can reach 12 thousand km.
- bowhead whale (polar whale) (Balaena mysticetus)
long-liver among mammals. The average age of the polar whale is 40 years, but the known scientifically based fact of longevity is 211 years. This is a unique species of baleen whale that spends its entire life in the cold waters of the Northern Hemisphere, often making its way like an icebreaker. The fountain of the whale rises up to 6 m in height. The body length of mature females reaches 20-22 meters, males - 18 meters. The weight of a whale is from 75 to 150 tons. The skin color of the animal is usually gray or dark blue. The belly and neck are lighter in color. An adult bowhead whale consumes almost 2 tons of different food every day, consisting of plankton (crustaceans and pteropods).
- Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)
the largest representative of toothed whales, and females are much smaller than males and have a body length of no more than 15 meters. The male whale grows up to 20 meters in length. Weight Limit females reaches 20 tons, males - 50 tons. Sperm whales have such a characteristic appearance that they cannot be confused with other cetaceans. The giant head is over 35% of the length of the body, and when viewed from the side, the snout of the sperm whale looks like a slightly beveled rectangle. In the recess at the bottom of the head there is a mouth, seated with 20-26 pairs of cone-shaped teeth. The weight of 1 whale tooth reaches 1 kilogram. The wrinkled skin of the sperm whale often has a dark gray color with a blue tint, although there are dark brown and even black individuals. As a predator, the sperm whale preys on squid, cuttlefish, large fish (including some types of sharks), and also swallows everything in the ocean: empty bottles, rubber boots, toys, coils of wire. Sperm whales live throughout the oceans, but are more common in tropical waters than in cool ones. Most of the population is distributed off the coast of the Black Continent and the eastern coast of Asia.
- (Balaenoptera physalus)
the second largest animal on the planet. The length of an adult whale is 24-27 m, but due to its slender physique, the whale weighs only 40-70 tons. A distinctive feature of fin whales is the asymmetrical color of the muzzle: the right side of the lower jaw is white, and the left side is dark. The basis of the whale's diet is small crustaceans. Fin whales live in all oceans: in winter they inhabit the waters of moderately warm zones, and in the warm season they swim to the waters of the Arctic and Antarctic.
- Blue whale (blue whale, vomited)(Balaenoptera musculus)
not only the largest whale in the world, but also the largest animal on our planet. The length of the blue whale can reach 33 meters, and the weight of the blue whale reaches 150 tons. This animal has a relatively slender build and a narrow muzzle. The color of the body within the species is monotonous: most individuals are gray with a blue tint and gray spots scattered throughout the body, making the skin of the animal look like marble. The blue whale feeds mainly on plankton and inhabits the entire oceans.
- Pygmy whale (pygmy right whale, short-headed right whale)(caperea marginata)
the smallest species of the suborder of baleen whales. The body of an adult individual does not exceed 4-6 m in length, and the body weight of the whale barely reaches 3-3.5 tons. Skin color - gray with dark spots, sometimes black. It differs in an undulating way of movement unusual for whales, feeds on plankton. The pygmy whale is one of the rarest and least numerous species of whales, it lives mainly in the waters of southern Australia and New Zealand.
whale breeding
For the most part, whales are monogamous, and breed once every 2 years. Whales reach the ability to reproduce by 3-5 years, but physically mature only at the age of 12 years. The mating season is greatly extended in time, because the males are ready to mate almost whole year. Depending on the species, the pregnancy of a female whale lasts from 7 to 18 months. Non-migratory whales give birth in the summer, the rest swim to warm waters and give birth there.
Childbirth takes place in the water column, one cub is born, and it always goes tail first. The weight of a newborn whale is 2-3 tons, and its length is a quarter or even half the length of a female.
The baby whale can immediately move independently, but keeps close to the mother, in whom the maternal instinct prevails above others.
Whales feed their young underwater. Whale milk is extremely thick and high-calorie, with a fat content of up to 54%, and does not spread in water. The mother feeds the cub for an average of 4-7 months (sperm whales up to 13 months). The babies grow rapidly and, upon completion of breastfeeding, increase in size to half the original length. All this time, the males of most species of whales stay nearby and do not leave the family under any circumstances.
What is the difference between a whale and a sperm whale?
The sperm whale is a type of whale. It has its own specific features:
- The head of a sperm whale with a huge square forehead occupies from 1/4 to 1/3 of the body length. The head of other whales is relatively small: from 1/5 to 1/9 of the body length. The exception is some representatives of baleen whales, such as the bowhead whale, southern right whale, whose head and body sizes are in the same proportion as that of sperm whales.
- The nostrils of whales are shifted back and up. They can be paired (in baleen whales) or unpaired (one nostril) (in toothed whales). In the sperm whale, the nostrils are asymmetrical and shifted forward, while one of them performs a respiratory function, and with the help of the other it makes sounds.
- The sperm whale belongs to the suborder of toothed whales, and its jaws are armed with numerous cone-shaped teeth. Mammals of the suborder of baleen whales instead of teeth have horny plates that replace teeth and are called baleen.
- In sperm whales, a huge spermaceti organ is located in the head, filled with a fatty substance (spermaceti), which solidifies at low temperatures. It is assumed that this organ helps the animal to dive and rise to the surface. Unlike the sperm whale, other whales do not have such an organ.
- Another difference is the dorsal fin. In whales, it is solitary. In sperm whales, it has an unusual structure for other whales - a small crest, followed by several of the same, only smaller.
- The sperm whale is able to dive to a depth of 3000 m, which is much more compared to other whales. Under water, it is longer than not only other cetaceans, but also all living creatures on the planet that breathe atmospheric air.
- The sperm whale, like other toothed whales, feeds mainly on cephalopods, in particular squids and, in smaller quantities, fish, including deep-sea fish, grabbing them with their jaws. Baleen whales feed on plankton, small fish and other small vertebrates, filtering them out of the water through their baleen.
- The pregnancy of sperm whales is longer than that of other cetaceans, and lasts 16-18 months.
- All whales feed their young underwater. After a certain interval of time, babies capture the mother's nipple for a few seconds. At the same time, the cubs of all whales hold it between the tongue and the top of the sky, and the baby sperm whale holds it in the corner of the mouth.
- Sperm whales emit echolocation signals: clicks, crackles and creaks. Baleen whales, in which echolocation is not developed or is in its infancy, can make various sounds. For example, a growl, roar, moan, purr can be emitted by a bowhead whale; hunchback songs are similar to the sounds of wind instruments; the moans of the fin whale resemble the sound of a flute from high to low tones. Many representatives of toothed whales make the same sounds as sperm whales, but at the same time they are able to whistle, roar, and killer whales also scream like March cats.
- Whales swim faster than sperm whales, reaching speeds of over 50 km/h. Max Speed sperm whales rarely exceeds 37 km / h, and mostly does not exceed 10 km / h.
What is the difference between a killer whale and a whale?
The killer whale, like whales, belongs to the cetacean order, but it has certain features:
- Killer whales differ from other whales in their high dorsal fin, reaching 1m in height. Moreover, males have a higher fin than females.
- In killer whales, unlike other whales, the head shortens with age, and the tail section lengthens, that is, the tail grows faster than the head.
- Whales feed on plankton, small vertebrates, fish, and cephalopods. Killer whales, which at a young age also eat fish and shellfish, later become real predators attacking warm-blooded animals. They eat sea lions, sea lions, elephant seals, porpoises, seals, walruses and even their fellow cetaceans. They swallow small prey whole, and large prey in large pieces.
- Whales are rather melancholic and slow animals. These sometimes clumsy sea giants are ready to filter water for hours, extracting krill from it. The killer whale is a swift and very active predator, deftly hunting prey swimming nearby.
- Killer whales are characterized by a strong attachment to each other and to the cubs, it is difficult to separate their flock. Many other whales are solitary or gather in small groups of 3-4 individuals.
- For a long time, whales have been of great economic importance to humans. Bones and fat from the subcutaneous layers of the whale were boiled to obtain fat, which was used in the production of margarine, glycerin and was used in the soap industry.
- Spermaceti, extracted from the head of sperm whales, is part of cosmetics, including decorative lipstick and various creams. Before the invention of polymers, whalebone was used to make corsets for women's dresses and springs for upholstered furniture.
- Whale pancreatic secretions produce insulin and other medications. Ambergris, found in the intestines of the sperm whale, is widely used in perfumery as a flavor stabilizer.
- Uncontrolled whaling has inevitably led to the near extinction of many whale populations. To date, most of the species are listed in the International Red Book, and commercial whaling is prohibited by the laws of most civilized countries.
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