The big blue whale is the giant of the planet Earth. Description and photo of the blue whale

Where do whales live?

Blue whales live in all the oceans of the world, and prefer the coastal shelf of ocean waters. Blue whales move to different regions of the ocean depending on the season.
Many whales can migrate from northern latitudes to the tropics in winter.
There is evidence that individual blue whales can stay closer to the equator all year round.
In practice, tracking the movement of whales is quite difficult, since they live in the open ocean.

How long do they live?

Scientists believe that blue whales live at least 80-90 years, possibly longer.

What do they eat?

Blue whales feed mainly on krill. Whales eat a variety of foods depending on where they live. During the summer months, whales eat about 4 tons of food each day. Blue whales that live off Baja California and Mexico are known to eat red crabs.
The blue whale is a representative of baleen whales, instead of teeth it has a mustache.
The mustache hangs from the upper jaw. They are made of keratin, a material similar to fingernails, and then turn into fine hairs in the mouth next to the tongue. The whale draws a very large amount of water into its mouth, and then releases it back. When water is forced out of the mouth, the baleen plates act like a sieve and retain food.

Whale, and not ordinary, but blue (Balaenoptera musculus). It is a mammal and belongs to the family of minke whales, leading the suborder of baleen whales. The body is dominated by a dark gray color, which becomes lighter towards the ventral part. However, it is impossible not to pay attention to the rich blue hue, which served as the main reason that this whale was called blue. In addition, a light gray or marble pattern is visible on the body, which often has bright white spots.

The blue whale is a rare unique animal that has been practically exterminated over the past centuries. It is for this reason that over the past century, hunting for it has been banned in almost all oceans, as well as in Antarctica.

Basic data

The largest whale on earth is blue. It has up to four hundred pairs of dark black triangular plates on each side of the jaw, which can be up to one meter long. The fringe of his mustache, like the palate, is black. In its structure, it is rough and thick and can reach 40-45 mm. The palate is narrowed in the anterior part and intersected by a single longitudinal furrow. The dorsal fin is located in the back of the body, and due to its small size, it helps the blue whale to successfully maneuver at high speed, even despite its impressive size. At the same time, the pectoral fins, which perform similar functions, on the contrary, are elongated. They can reach more than 10% of the entire body length of the blue whale.

Despite the fact that these whales are the largest representatives of their kind, there are individuals among them that are truly impressive in their size. So, the largest blue whale reached a length of 33.27 m and weighed 176.762 tons. It was caught near the South Shetland Islands. The average length of male blue whales is 24 meters. At the same time, individuals living in the northern hemisphere are slightly larger - 28 meters. On average, their body weight reaches 120 tons.

At the same time, hidden grace is visible in his appearance. The head, despite a significant convexity, is slightly blunted in front. The respiratory opening is surrounded by a roller, smoothly turning into a crest, the height of which gradually decreases.

Structural features

The palpebral fissure of the blue whale does not exceed 10 cm, due to which they remain almost invisible against its general background. They are located slightly behind and above the corners of the mouth. The lower jaw is strongly curved to the sides, when the mouth is closed, it protrudes beyond the upper jaw by more than 20-25 cm. At the same time, the front of the head and the lower jaw bear many short hairs, the number of which varies, and the length does not exceed 15 mm.

The length of the throat-abdominal stripes ranges from 70 to 120 cm. Their width does not exceed six centimeters. The longest of them can reach almost to the navel.

Like most individuals who prefer to live at great depths, the largest whale in the world, the photo of which is given in this article, has a fatty layer, which not only acts as a reserve source of nutrients, but also protects the body from hypothermia, maintaining a comfortable temperature. At the same time, the thickness of their blubber (tissue filled with fat) on the lateral parts of the body near the tail is only twenty centimeters.

Distinctive features

The largest whale (blue) is divided into three main types:

• dwarf;
• northern;
• southern.

At the same time, despite the fact that outwardly they practically do not differ, each of these species prefers water with different temperature indicators - from icy to tropical.

The internal organs of the blue whale fully correspond to its impressive size: the liver weighs almost a ton, the heart - up to three tons, several tons of food are placed in its stomach at once, and the open mouth is about 24 meters in area, as a result of which the hunting process is greatly simplified.

Nutrition

Despite its impressive size, the blue whale cannot be called the most dangerous aquatic predator, because it has no teeth at all. It eats all kinds of living creatures, the size of which does not exceed 6 cm. In most cases, its daily diet consists of crustaceans and small fish that fall into the mouth in the process of hunting for crustaceans.

Since the length of the blue whale's head is about 1/3 of the length of its body, it is not surprising that its mouth resembles a huge container, consisting of many horny plates. It was they who received the name of the whalebone, the fishery for which was previously widespread. They grow in the sky and in their structure represent the likeness of a sieve. Having opened it, he swims at high speed through the places of accumulation of prey, after which, closing his mouth, he forcefully pushes water through the structure of the whalebone with his tongue, as a result of which all the food remains in the mouth, and the water is pushed out through a special hole in the upper back.

reproduction

Sexual maturity in the blue whale occurs between 4 and 6 years of age. By this time, females reach a length of 23-25 ​​meters.

The largest whale in the world bears its cub for one year. A newborn blue whale, on average, reaches a length of about 7 meters and weighs several tons.

Due to the fact that the largest whale is also one of the fastest growing animals, by the end of the first year of life, the weight of its cub reaches 25-30 tons. The main source of nutrition for the baby during this period is mother's milk, the daily norm of which is approximately 100 liters. In addition, it is noteworthy that in the event that the mother wants to praise the cub, she touches him with the tip of her nose, thereby proving once again that despite the fact that in the course of evolution they began to live under water, blue whales still remain mammals.

Habitat

The largest whale in the world (photos allow you to imagine its power) prefers to live alone or in small family groups. It is found in the waters of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, however, as a result of whaling, their numbers have decreased so much that they can be seen extremely rarely.

Previously, they were found in almost all oceans, but today they are most often seen in the Chukchi and Bering Seas, as well as in areas of tropical islands.

At the same time, they are almost impossible to meet in tropical waters. For wintering, whales go to European latitudes, and spend the summer in Antarctica.

Biological features

Despite the fact that the largest whale (blue) lives in the water and looks like a fish in outline, it is a mammal. As a result of the many millennia that blue whales spent in the water, they became like fish in their shape, but their lifestyle and body structure remained similar to land animals.

The largest whale, whose photos are simply mesmerizing, feeds its cubs, which are born alive and do not go through the stages of formation inherent in fish, with mother's milk. Newborns for a sufficiently long period remain close to their mother, who takes care of them.

In addition, in the structure of the blue whale there are certain features that allow it to be attributed to mammals. For example, the fins, which have an internal structure, resemble a human hand, and on the body of some individuals there are even bones in those places where the hind legs are located in land animals.

The uniqueness of blue whales

The largest whale (blue) is found almost anywhere in the world - from the Arctic to the Antarctic, but there are so few individuals left that they need constant human protection. Over the past centuries, they were mercilessly exterminated for the sake of fat and valuable whalebone, as a result of which they were almost completely destroyed. Despite a strict ban on catching this unique animal, a significant increase in the number of blue whales has not yet been recorded.

Representatives of the class of mammals - whales - marine animals that amaze with their impressive size. In Greek, the meaning of the word kitoc is "sea monster", from which the name of this mammal came. At a time when fishermen were just beginning to notice such a large creature as a whale, there were frequent disputes about whether it was a fish or an animal. Surprisingly, the ancestors of all cetaceans are artiodactyl land animals. Although outwardly the whale looks like a fish, but one of its modern ancestors is a hippopotamus. Despite all these facts, disputes continue about who whales are - fish or mammals.

Whale - description and characteristics

The size of the whales exceeds the dimensions of any mammal: the body length of the blue whale reaches twenty-five to thirty-three meters, and the weight is more than one hundred and fifty tons. But there are also smaller, dwarf whales. Their mass does not exceed four tons, and the body length is six meters.

In all cetaceans, the body has the shape of an elongated drop, which provides them with easy gliding in the water column. A large head with a narrow and blunt rostrum allows the whale to cut through the water when swimming. The nostrils are displaced closer to the crown, and the eyes are small relative to the body. Different individuals have differences in the structure of the teeth. Toothed whales have sharp cone-shaped teeth, and baleen whales filter water instead of their usual teeth and thus extract food using bone plates (or whalebone).

The whale skeleton provides special plasticity and the ability to perform maneuvers due to the spongy structure and elasticity of the intervertebral discs. The head passes into the body without cervical interception, towards the tail the body becomes narrower. The mammal turns and slows down with the help of flippers, which have been transformed from pectoral fins. The function of the motor is performed by the tail, which is characterized by a flat shape, extreme flexibility and well-developed muscles. At the end of the tail section are horizontal blades. Many whales use their tail to stabilize their underwater movement.

Hairs and bristles grow only on the muzzles of baleen whales, the body is covered with absolutely smooth and hairless skin. The skin color of the animal can be monophonic, anti-shadow - dark top and light bottom, or spotty. With age, whales can change the color of their skin. Cetaceans lack olfactory receptors, and taste receptors are poorly developed. The whale only distinguishes the taste of salty food, while other mammals have a full set of taste buds. Poor eyesight and frequent myopia are fully compensated by the conjunctival glands. The hearing of a mammal distinguishes sounds in the range from dull noises to ultrasonic frequencies, due to the complex anatomical structure of the inner ear. Under the skin is a large number of nerves, which provides the animal with an excellent sense of touch.

Whales communicate with each other using echolocation. The absence of vocal cords did not prevent the whale from communicating with other individuals by reproducing sounds. The role of a reflector and a sound lens is performed by a layer of fat in the concave bones of the skull. Whales have slow smooth movements, but sometimes their speed can reach forty kilometers an hour.

The body temperature of the whale does not depend on the environment, they are warm-blooded animals. A thick layer of fat protects cetaceans from hypothermia. Huge lungs with well-developed muscles allow animals to spend under water from ten minutes to an hour and a half. Swimming to the surface of the ocean, the whale releases air, the temperature of which is much higher than the surrounding air. That is why, when exhaling, a fountain appears - a sheaf of condensate, and along with it, due to the high power, a trumpet rumble breaks out in some large animals.

Lifespan. How long do whales live?

The question of how long whales live can be answered differently depending on their species. Small animals live up to thirty years, the life of large whales does not exceed fifty years.

The habitat of whales is the oceans. Mammals are scattered over all latitudes, but in cold weather, most migrate to warm waters and live near the coast. These are herd animals, preferring to live in groups with several tens or hundreds of individuals. Whales migrate according to the season. In winter and during the birth period, whales and their females swim to warm waters, and in summer they are in the waters of temperate or high latitudes.

The nutrition of a whale depends on its species. Plankton is preferred by planktophages, and molluscs serve as food for teutophages. Ichthyophages feed on live fish, while detritus feed on decomposed organic matter. Killer whales are the only cetaceans that hunt not only for fish, but also for such pinnipeds as seals, penguins and sea lions. Dolphins and their offspring can also become victims of killer whales.

whale species

The largest member of the mammal family is the blue whale. One hundred and fifty tons of weight and a length of thirty meters give the blue whale the right to be considered the largest animal on the planet. The narrow head and slender body allow the mammal to move smoothly under water, cutting through its thickness. The skin has the appearance of a marble stone due to gray spots scattered over the blue body of the whale. The blue whale lives in every ocean and feeds mainly on plankton and small fish. Blue whales prefer to live and move alone. The size of the blue whale attracts poachers and scientists to it.

The blue whale dives into the depths in moments of fear or because of injury. Whalers, using harpoons, measured the maximum depth to which the animal descends - five hundred and forty meters, although, during normal diving, the whale does not fall into the water deeper than one hundred meters. After a deep dive, the mammal makes a series of dives in order to inhale air. The length of the blue whale makes it dive in and out rather slowly. Under water, the animal spends three quarters of its life. The blue whale breeds more slowly than the rest of the cetaceans: cubs are born no more than once every two years. For one birth, only one cub is born, and the gestation period itself is very long.

Animals were almost exterminated in the last century, so now scientists are trying to increase their numbers. Today, the number of blue whales around the planet does not exceed ten thousand individuals. Blue whales are being killed by poachers for their baleen value. It has a rich black-resin color and a triangular shape. The fringe located on the plates of the mustache allows the whale to feed on large crustaceans and small plankton.

The songs of such an animal as the blue whale are considered very depressing. The blue whale lives for about eighty to ninety years, the maximum recorded age of the animal is one hundred and ten years.

Because of the convex hump-shaped fin on the back of one of the representatives of the whales, they called it a humpback. The animal has a shortened body - at least fourteen meters, while its mass is about thirty tons. The humpback whale differs from other species in the form of a variety of skin colors and the presence of several rows of warty leathery growths on the top of its head. The body color of a mammal can vary from brown to dark gray and black, the chest and belly are covered with white spots. The upper part of the fins may be completely black or covered with light spots, the bottom is completely white. The animal has long pectoral fins, the mass of which is a third of the total weight of the whale. Humpback whales have individual growths as well as coloration.

This mammal lives in the waters of all oceans, excluding the regions of Antarctica and the Arctic. The migration of the humpback whale can be both localized and seasonal, depending on the availability of food or the temperature of the ocean water. Animals do not choose certain areas for habitat, but prefer to be near the coast, in shallow water. During the migration period, whales enter deep waters, but usually stay near the coast. At this time, mammals almost do not eat, feeding on reserves of subcutaneous fat. Crustaceans, mollusks and small fish make up the food of the humpback whale in the warm season. Groups of these animals quickly disintegrate. Only mothers with cubs can swim and hunt together for long periods of time.

The humpback whale is known for the sounds it makes. During the breeding season, males make long sounds, reminiscent of melodic songs that attract females. Scientists who became interested in these sounds, through research, were able to determine that the songs of the humpback whale, like human speech, consist of individual words that form into sentences.

The pygmy whale is considered the smallest species of cetaceans. Its mass does not reach three tons, and the length of the body does not exceed six meters. This is the only one of the representatives of the whales, which moves in waves. The dwarf whale has a streamlined body that is gray or black with gray spots. There are no growths on the head of the animal, the pectoral fins are very short, have a rounded shape, and the sickle-shaped dorsal fin does not exceed twenty-five centimeters in height. Unlike the blue one, the pygmy whale has a white baleen with a yellowish tinge.

Scientists provide little information about the lifestyle of this animal, since it is rarely seen. The dwarf whale does not jump out of the water, does not raise its tail fin above its surface. The fountains that he releases when exhaling are not striking in their size and are not accompanied by a rumble. You can distinguish a mammal by light gums and a white spot on the jaw. The pygmy whale swims rather slowly, undulating its body.

The mammal leads a solitary life, but sometimes it can be seen in groups of sei whales or minke whales.

These whales are rarely found in the open ocean, more often they swim in shallow bays. In the warm season, young pygmy whales move to coastal waters. Animals do not migrate long distances. Plankton, crustaceans, and invertebrate marine animals serve as food for dwarf whales. This is the rarest and least numerous species of cetaceans.

One of the representatives of cetacean mammals is the beluga whale. The name of the animal comes from its color. Beluga whale cubs are born with dark blue skin, then it changes to light gray, and adults have a pure white color. The animal is distinguished by a small head with a high forehead. The beluga whale can turn its head, as its cervical vertebrae are not fused. Most whales don't have this option. The animal does not have a dorsal fin, and the small pectoral fins are oval in shape. Because of these features, the name of the mammal is translated from Latin as “wingless dolphin”. Thirty or forty years is how long these whales live.

These whales live in the Arctic latitudes, but migrate seasonally. Beluga whales spend summer and spring near the coast, in places for molting and feeding. During the molting season, whales rub against the sea pebbles in shallow water, thus trying to shed their old skin. Every year, the white whale visits the same places, remembering the place of its birth, where it returns after wintering. In winter, whales live in glaciation zones, breaking through thin ice with their powerful backs. But at times when polynyas are covered with a thick layer of ice, belugas can become trapped in ice. The danger is represented by polar bears and killer whales, for which the white whale can become food. The migration of whales takes place in two groups: in one there are several females with cubs, in the second, adult males. Communication between individuals is carried out with the help of sound signals and fins clapping on the water. During the study, beluga whales were counted more than fifty types of sounds that they make.

Mating of whales takes place on the coast, takes place several times a year. For a female, males can arrange tournament fights. During childbirth, one calf appears, which the female feeds for one and a half to two years.

One of the brightest individuals of cetaceans is the sperm whale. Unlike other whales, sperm whales prefer a herd lifestyle, moving and hunting in groups of hundreds of individuals. Their speed does not allow sperm whales to move quickly in the water column. The sperm whale is known for its ability to dive deep under water and stay at depth for a long time. The high content of fat and liquids in the body of the sperm whale provides him with protection from water pressure. The mammal stores air in the air sac and muscles, which contain a large amount of myoglobin. The animal has in rare cases been the cause of accidents with deep-sea cables. The sperm whale got entangled in the cable with its tail and lower jaw and choked, this was already discovered during the repair of the cable. A sperm whale was recovered off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula, which was entangled in a cable located at a depth of more than two thousand meters. At the same time, the whale uses echolocation, emitting ultrasound, which not only allows him to communicate with other sperm whales, but also scare away dangerous animals. High-frequency signals block the movements of other inhabitants of the ocean, which makes it easier for the sperm whale to hunt them.

This mammal has been exterminated for several centuries, due to which its numbers have declined sharply. In conditions of polluted waters in the ocean and continued fishing, sperm whales are very slowly restoring their population. When wounded and attacked, the animal shows great aggression, so hunting for it comes into contact with great risk. A wounded sperm whale is able to sink a whaling ship along with the entire crew. What does a whale eat? It eats small crustaceans, molluscs, squids, octopuses, small sharks. To grind food, the sperm whale swallows small stones. This whale is the only mammal in whose mouth a person can completely fit. During whaling ship accidents, sperm whales swallowed the whalers.

Many researchers are still arguing about who killer whale is a whale or a dolphin. Despite being called the killer whale in the media and in the daily life of whalers, the killer whale belongs to the dolphins. They confuse this animal with a whale because of the shape of the fin: dolphins have sharp long fins, while those of the killer whale are rounded and wide.

Mating and breeding whales

The whale is a monogamous animal that breeds once every two years. A mammal fully matures by the age of twelve, but it has the opportunity to breed by the age of four. Males mate throughout the whole year, so the mating season is very long. Pregnancy proceeds depending on the type of cetacean and can take from seven to fifteen months. For childbirth, females migrate to warm waters.

As a result of childbirth, one whale appears, which leaves the female tail first. The born cub immediately has the opportunity to move and develop independently, but it keeps for some time near the mother. The whale feeding takes place under water, because whale milk has a high density and high fat content, as a result of which it does not blur in water. After the end of feeding, the cub almost doubles in size. The male accompanies the mother with the kitten during the whole period of feeding.

• man hunted whales for whalebone, fat and bones. Margarine, glycerin and soap were made from fat and lard. Whalebone and bones were used for the production of corsets, figurines, jewelry, dishes;
• in the production of decorative cosmetics, spermaceti, which is located in the head of a whale, is actively used;
• many species of whales are listed in the Red Book, as they were practically exterminated by whalers;
• more than a dozen blue whale skeletons can be seen in various natural museums around the world;
• a trainable whale is a beluga whale. It can be seen in circuses and dolphinariums. The researchers of the ocean floor trained the beluga whale to search for items lost at the bottom, deliver equipment to divers and conduct underwater photography;
• a large amount of literature has been written about different representatives of whales, while mammals act both as helpers to humans and as dangerous predators;
• The names of whales, such as the beluga whale or the sperm whale, refer to some types of sea or land cargo transport.