Whales

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Whales
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Whales live in oceans around the world. They are
mammals because they have lungs, have hair, and
give live birth. Whales can grow up to 100 ft or
more in length. They can weigh up to 200 tons
or more. Whales live in families called pods.
The number of whales in a pod consists of family
members and family friends. Whales live in
these families for life.
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Whales do not have eyelids. They rely on thick
oily tears to protect their eyes. Whales hear
from little holes behind their eyes. Whales
talk to each other by making high pitched sounds
like whistles, clicks, squeaks, rattles and
groans.
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There are two types of whales, toothed whales and
baleen whales. Toothed whales have peg-like teeth
in the lower jaw. The size, shape, and number
of teeth vary with different whale species.
Killer whales have 48 teeth and narwhales have
only two. Most toothed whales are smaller than
baleen whales.
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Killer whales belong to the family of dolphins
and is the biggest dolphin. They grow to be
about 2733 ft. long and weigh more than
8,00012,000 pounds. They live in small pods of
6-40 whales that last for life. Killer whales
eat fish, squid, seals, and penguins. They are
found in all the worlds oceans and most of the
seas.
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The beluga whale is a small, toothed whale that
is white as an adult. They grow to be about 15
feet long and weigh up to 3,300 pounds. Belugas
eat fish, squid, crustaceans and octopi. They
are very social animals and congregate in pods of
2-25 whales. Belugas are known as sea
canaries because of their songs and chatter,
which can be heard above water. They live in
frigid Arctic waters, but some migrate south to
warmer water in the summer.
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Baleen whales are some of the largest animals on
earth. They are named for the long plates of
baleen which hang in a row from their upper
jaws. Baleen plates are strong and flexible
they are made of a protein similar to human
fingernails. Baleen whales strain huge volumes
of ocean water through their baleen plates to
capture food. They eat tons of krill, other
zooplankton, crustaceans, and small fish.
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The blue whale is the largest animal that ever
lived on Earth. They grow to be about 80 feet
long and weigh 120 tons. It is also the loudest
animal on Earth. Their call reaches up to 188
decibels, which is louder than a jet.