It’s a whale thing!, Happy World Whale Day!
Welcome toe the World of Whales and honesty it’s a New road never taken before so be mindful of me. I love Whales and Marvel at how gentle these creature are but have never taken too much interest until today. So as l go about my journey on discovering what’s so special about these creatures ,l be sharing with you … let’s go
Many species are believed to have a lifespan of at least 20 years, and some even longer. While most toothed whales only survive 20 to 60 years, bowhead whales can live up to 200 years, and fin whales can live about 100 years. The longevity of an animal in captivity can be greatly shortened. Imagine that 200 years man that’s wonderful.
But as usual we humans always mess things up with killing and captivity.Sperm Whales for example where almost driven to extinction by commercial whalers who sought the whales’ blubber and the unique oil derived from the “spermaceti organ” found in their massive heads. The spermaceti organ is a key part of their echolocation system.
We just can’t seem to leave nature alone. So then it begs the question how to we humans benefit from whales?
Whales give us hope. These titans of climate change have a huge potential to help solve the climate disaster. Whales contribute to the health of the ocean, which takes in more carbon and releases more oxygen than all of Earth’s forests combined.
https://us.whales.org/green-whale/#:~:text=Whales%20offer%20us%20hope.,and%20whales%20help%20it%20flourish.
Another interesting factor about Whales is their intelligence.Similar to dolphins, whales have high levels of emotional and social intelligence and are skilled communicators. They also possess some of the biggest brains, which are enormous. The brains of sperm whales are the biggest on the planet, weighing nearly five times as much as those of humans.
if you ever wondered about their breathing “The longest ever recorded dive by a whale was made by a Cuvier’s beaked whale. It lasted 222 minutes and broke the record for diving mammals. Other whales can also hold their breath for a very long time. A sperm whale can spend around 90 minutes hunting underwater before it has to come back to the surface to breathe.” According to the Natural History Museum.
As the apex predators in the food chain, whales are crucial to the general wellbeing of the marine ecosystem. Whales are important in the fight against climate change because they collect carbon from the atmosphere. An average great whale is thought to sequester 33 tons of CO2.
Another interesting factor about Whales l bet you didn’t know od that they are complex singers.Male humpback whales found in U.S. waters sing complex songs in winter breeding areas in waters near Hawaii, in the Caribbean, and elsewhere that can last up to 20 minutes and be heard miles away.
You know with their size and all you would think they are safe! Sadly, after decades of protection, six of the thirteen great whale species are still considered vulnerable or endangered due to their size and legendary reputation. Every year, at least 300,000 whales and dolphins are thought to be killed by fisheries bycatch, and many more perish due to various hazards such as habitat destruction and shipping. It’s just heartbreaking.
#Facts
The blue whale is the largest animal that ever lived and can grow to 90 or more feet and weigh as much as 24 elephants! That’s more than 330,000 pounds (150,000 kg).
Killer Whales are highly social and often travel in groups that are matrifocal—a family unit focused or centered on the mother. Learn more about the Southern Resident killer whale, a NOAA Fisheries Species in the Spotlight.
Anyways that’s enough for today enjoy your week and remember whales when you throw litter especially plastic. Whales will die because of pollution as you know there is no place called away.it goes somewhere and ends up in our oceans. If whales go extinct and they are on top of the food chain we all die.