WHALE
•Whales are large sea mammals with smooth skins, flippers, and powerful tails which help them to speed through the water. They are found in all the world’s oceans and spend all their time in the water, only coming to the surface to breathe. As they breathe out, they blow a massive cloud of tiny water droplets high above them. Many whales are endangered because people have haunted them or they have been killed by pollution in the sea.
Water babies
Whales have their babies, or clves, underwater and usualyy have only one at a time. Even new born calves are huge. A blue whale calf is about 23 feet long. Whales take great care of their babies and feed them rich milk. A female whale and her calf may stay together for up to one year.
A Song and Dance
Whales can talk to each other over long distances. Humpback whales make songs by humming, moaning, grunting, and squeaking. They often leap out of the sea and slap their tails on the water. Every Whale's song is different and a single song can last for half an hour.
Some whales have teeth. They catch fish and other sea creature to eat. They are called toothed whales and there are aound 65 different kinds, including dolphins. Baleen whales have horny plates called baleen in their mouths instead of teeth. The plates are made of a material similar to human finger nails. They hang like frilly curtains to trap small animals which rush in with each mouthful of water. There are ten kinds of baleen whales.
DID YOU KNOW?
>A whale's nose is called a blowhole and is found on top of its head.
>The blue whale is the largest animal in the world. It can grow up to 100 feet long and weigh the same as 25 African elephants.
>A whale's heart beats only nine times a minute. A human heart beats around 65 times a minute.