They are especially sensitive around their genital organs, the tops of their heads, their flippers and their bellies. It is fibroelastic like those of the blue whale's artiodactyl relatives. Blue whales feast on krill; their stomachs can hold 2,200 pounds (1,000 kg) … Relative weight of skeletal components of cetaceans = 45% head and ribs, 45% vertebral column, 10% limbs. Unlike other sea creatures such as fish which use gills to extract oxygen from the water whales must come to the surface to breathe as they possess lungs and a blowhole rather than gills. You will have the chance to observe these marine species in the comfort of … Baleen whales are the other suborder of the toothed whale species. Blue whales have an average length of 25 meters (80 feet) and an average weight of 110 metric tons (120 short tonnes). Check out the Facts. Since blue whales are placental mammals, the fetus develops inside of the mother in the uterus. But as explained above, they can get considerably larger than that. The main purpose of the dorsal fin is to stabilize the whale and keep it from rolling in the water. They also possess blubber and the ability to shut down non essential functions when diving in order to stay warm and maximize their ability to hold their breath for extended periods of time. The retracted penis curves in an S-shaped loop and stays inside the body. Blue whales can dive for up to an hour at a time, going to a depth of 100m, so they need highly efficient lungs... Heart. Male whales are mature between 7 and 10 years of age. Due to its large size, several organs of the blue whale are the largest in the animal kingdom. This article will give you a basic understanding of a cetaceans anatomy and help you understand why these physical adaptations are so important for their survival. The blowhole is situated on or near the top of their head and acts as an airway passage for breathing. Skin. The blue whale has a wide head, a small dorsal fin located near the fluke, and 80–100 long grooves running lengthwise down the throat and chest. The thick blubber helps keep the cold/freezing temperatures of the outside water away from the whales vital organs and can even protect whales against attacks from predators such as sharks and killer whales. Their bodies are not designed to hold that kind of weight on land, which is a non buoyant environment. These vibrissae are also found around the mouth. The whale emits a high-pitched sound (which often sounds like a click). The esophagus of the blue whale, even if it takes in 2-3 tonnes of krill a day, measures just 15 to 25 cm long when fully extended. Together, the lungs contain approximately 2,400 kilometers (1,500 mi) of airways and 300 to 500 million alveoli, having a total surface area of about 70 square meters (750 sq ft) (8,4 x 8,4 m) in adults — roughly the same area as one side of a tennis court. The flukes are attached to the end of the whale/dolphin and are used for propulsion. They fertilize internally, meaning sperm is deposited inside the female. In … While whales go through a pregnancy phase and give birth to their children many species of fish lay thousands of eggs and leave them to hatch on their own. A single sperm and egg fertilize to form a diploid zygote. Blue whales have the largest penises on Earth. Its very rare for blue whales to eat anything but krill but have been known to eat other crustacean species like the red crab. ... Earth keeps all its inhabitants close to it, regardless of size. Mammalian scrotums lower ambient temperature to keep sperm viable, so cetaceans had to find a way to compensate. Blue whales color isn’t really blue. While it is possible to secrete oil whales are not capable of secreting tears, but their cries can often be heard from many miles away. Whale Reproduction and Care of Young. Orcinus orca Orcas are a well known type of toothed whale. For a whale/dolphin there is little difference between the inner and outer ear area. Interesting Facts About Human Lungs. Baleen whales are generally larger than toothed whales and have rows of baleen plates with bristles that resemble the teeth of a comb located on the top of their jaws instead of teeth. Some whales such as the sperm whale are believed to use their teeth mainly to show aggression while other species use their teeth only to grab onto their prey and swallow their food whole. An erect blue whale penis is 12 inches in diameter and ten feet in length. Here are several characteristics that show some of the major differences between whales and fish: Disclosure Policy | Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2020 WhaleFacts.org, Extract oxygen from the water using gills. Blue whales are the largest animals ever known to have lived on Earth . In order to capture their prey, chew their food and protect themselves against threats these marine mammals possess teeth. The organ is expected to be shown on Big Blue Live, a new series appearing soon on BBC One in the UK and PBS in the US. Male gametes are sperm, and the female gametes are eggs. Blue Whale is a marine animal that in weight is the largest animal to ever have existed. When erect, it peaks out of the genital slit. Their lungs are closer to the vertebrae than to the sternum. Photo courtesy of rwhgould. The aorta of a blue whale is large enough for a child to crawl through. The food then reaches the first stomach compartment, the rumen. Blue whale while they are carnivores are harmless to almost any thing larger then red crabs. They Eat a Lot of Krill. There are 4 recognized subspecies of the enormous blue whale, the largest marine mammal in the sea, and possibly that has e… Toothed whales are typically smaller than their baleen whale cousins and have a single blowhole on their head as compared to the two blowholes found on a baleen whale. Most whales do not maintain fixed partnerships during mating, in many species the females have several mates each season. What is the blue whale? The eyes of a whale are relatively small when compared to the rest of its body. Some species of dolphin and porpoise also lack the presence of a dorsal fin. The whale is only able to survive because the water it swims in helps to support it's organs. Under these feathers is a very thin layering of skin that protects the inner organs. When born the calf immediately swims to the surface for oxygen. It stands to reason that their reproductive organs ought to be similarly massive, and that is undoubtedly the case. Normally, they migrate near the equator to reproduce. Their organs are also big. It is fibroelastic like those of the blue whale's artiodactyl relatives. In fact in some ways whales and fish are like night and day when it comes to how they live and thrive in the ocean. Blue whales undergo a very elaborate mating ritual. Unique color. Ask a stranger to FedEx a whale vagina. The blue whale is the largest animal known to ever live on Earth, weighing in at 330,000 pounds (150,000 kilograms) and stretching up to 108 feet (33 meters). The flippers on a whale or dolphin are used to navigate and steer in the ocean. The average size of the blue whale. Blue whales also have a distal spiral valve as a spermatic tube. The bristles act as a filter allowing water to escape their mouth while being packed tightly enough to keep fish and crustaceans trapped inside. The calf is born tail first after a 12 month pregnancy, and it weighs 6,000 pounds. They then push the water out of their mouth and swallow their food whole. By one estimate, the penis of a blue whale can measure up to 16 feet long, and its … The blue whale circulatory system is quiet amazing. When that blood is sent directly to the testes, the sperm are cooled below body temperature and remain viable. Although whales breathe air they can spend up to 90% of their lives underwater. This sound then travels through the water until it hits an object, bounces back (or echoes) and returns to the whale. They go in heat any time of the year, but the most common is during the migration to warmer waters for mating season. These are important areas for the whale to protect and of which to be aware. First, most species of whale have very large bodies that weigh thousands of pounds. Blue whales also have a distal spiral valve as a spermatic tube. For many baleen whales, such as humpback and grey whales, a general migration pattern can be defined as to-and-fro migration between feeding grounds at higher latitudes and breeding habitats at lower latitudes on an annual basis… Whales, porpoises and dolphins are  marine mammals and like all mammals they require oxygen to survive. Their eyes are well adapted to aquatic life and secrete an oil used to lubricate and protect their eyes from debris and other chemicals in the ocean. The bottom layering of skin serves the same purpose as the skin for humans. The retracted penis curves in an S-shaped loop and stays inside the body. Suddenly, they fly upwards and cross the surface, and as the do the male thrusts the penis into the vulva and ejaculates. Oxygen is pumped around its enormous body by an equally massive, four-chambered heart. Because when a blue whale was dissected in Canada, you think they opened a museum exhibit of its brain, of its colon? Instead of receiving sound through the outer ears whales receive sound through their throat, the sound than passes through a cavity and into the inner ear. The thick blubber helps keep the cold/freezing temperatures of the outside water away from the whales vital organs and can even protect whales against attacks from predators such as sharks and killer whales. Unlike sharks however whales and dolphins move forward by flexing their tail up and down, not left and right. And they did. Blue Whales :: MarineBio Video Library :: Blue whale song 1 ~ Blue whale song 2 Blue whales, Balaenoptera musculus (Linnaeus, 1758), like all rorquals (Family Balaenopteridae, the family that includes the blue whale, Bryde’s whale, fin whale, humpback whale, minke whale, and sei whale), are long, slender whales that are much more streamlined than other large whales. Two sizes available : 11 x 17 inches and 13 x 19 inches. Blue Whale penis. The blowholes are connected directly to the lungs, so the whale can take a mouthful of water and breathe at the same time. There are two primary whale suborders that are divided based on their physical characteristics. Unlike other mammals however whales, dolphins and porpoises have flippers, flukes, a dorsal fin and blowhole(s) that make navigating the ocean much easier. The blue whale is a member of the baleen group. They are dioecious and undergo sexual reproduction. Want to learn more cool information? The blue whale fetus grows quickly at 1 inch per day after 3 months of gestation, and by the seventh month it stretches to 12 feet in length.