The average size of the blue whale. They function as tactile sensors, giving the whale a well-developed sense of touch. 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 Right Whale, Blue Whale, Gray Whale, Killer Whale, Narwhal, Beluga, Minke Whale, Sperm Whale, Humpback Whale and Bowhead Whale rub shoulders on this poster. Want to learn more cool information? Blue whales reproduce via sexual meiosis. Two sizes available : 11 x 17 inches and 13 x 19 inches. The genital organs of male whales are retracted into cavities of the body during swimming, so the whale is streamlined and to reduce drag. 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. Oxygen is pumped around its enormous body by an equally massive, four-chambered heart. Instead of enamel which is found on the teeth of humans humans a whales teeth is covered in cementum cells and unless the cementum is worn down you won’t be able to see the enamel on their teeth. The retracted penis curves in an S-shaped loop and stays inside the body. Because when a blue whale was dissected in Canada, you think they opened a museum exhibit of its brain, of its colon? In fact the blue whale (the largest animal in existence) can weigh in excess of 150 tons and grow to be over 100 ft. long! The blowhole is situated on or near the top of their head and acts as an airway passage for breathing. The food then reaches the first stomach compartment, the rumen. A small child can actually crawl through the veins and arteries. Male gametes are sperm, and the female gametes are eggs. The bristles act as a filter allowing water to escape their mouth while being packed tightly enough to keep fish and crustaceans trapped inside. Their lungs are closer to the vertebrae than to the sternum. 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). Blue Whale is a marine animal that in weight is the largest animal to ever have existed. … In order to capture their prey, chew their food and protect themselves against threats these marine mammals possess teeth. Fish on the other hand are cold-blooded and do not have to manage or regulate their internal body heat in order to survive. This compartment breaks down the food by … Unique color. 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. The only thing people wanted … The eyes of a whale are relatively small when compared to the rest of its body. Cetaceans, like all mammals, have a four-chambered heart with paired ventricles and auricles. Blue whales are the largest animals ever known to have lived on Earth . The first of these two suborders is the toothed whale suborder. 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. Pre-digested food is stored there. Even if viable organs are available, the blood type of the donor may not match the recipient, which is absolutely necessary, as a mismatch could be fatal for the recipient. Suddenly, they fly upwards and cross the surface, and as the do the male thrusts the penis into the vulva and ejaculates. If a whale was on land, the weight of its own body would cause it's organs to collapse and the whale would die. The pattern of circulation is similar to that of other mammals, with the exception of a series of well-developed reservoirs for oxygenated blood called the rete mirabile, for "marvelous network." Yes, the whales are big, in fact the blue whale is the largest animal that exists on the planet. And they did. These magnificent marine mammals rule the oceans at up to 100 feet long and upwards of 200 tons . Like other mammals these marine animals require oxygen to breathe, eyes to see, ears to hear and mammary glands to feed their young among other things. They have a cavity that their genitals remain in during resting and swimming so there isn’t a great deal that is known about them in great deal. They have a four-chambered heart that is set fully forward in the rib cage. The skin of a blue whale varies from shades of a bluish-grey. The retracted penis curves in an S-shaped loop and stays inside the body. Surprisingly whales cannot breathe through their mouth like humans and most land based mammals because their esophagus (food passage) and trachea (air passage) are completely separated from each other. Blood in veins that go through fins and the fluke loses heat. When born the calf immediately swims to the surface for oxygen. But as explained above, they can get considerably larger than that. This sound then travels through the water until it hits an object, bounces back (or echoes) and returns to the whale. As the largest animal alive, the blue whale has the largest instance of several body parts. They are especially sensitive around their genital organs, the tops of their heads, their flippers and their bellies. These vibrissae are also found around the mouth. The tongue (which, in a blue whale, is the size of an elephant) inverts into a large flattened sac, partly retreating through the floor of the mouth. The picture above shows the size and shape of a real blue whales heart. Blue whales undergo a very elaborate mating ritual. Blue whales reach sexual maturity between the age of 5 and 10. 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. Check out the Facts. What is the blue whale? The mother watches over the young calf for a year, feeding it up to 200 pounds of milk per day. Relative weight of skeletal components of cetaceans = 45% head and ribs, 45% vertebral column, 10% limbs. 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. Blue whales color isn’t really blue. Each bump has a hair sticking out of it called a vibrissa. It stands to reason that their reproductive organs ought to be similarly massive, and that is undoubtedly the case. It can reach 100 feet and 200 tons which makes it the largest animal on the planet (3). Blue whales feast on krill; their stomachs can hold 2,200 pounds (1,000 kg) … They prefer the depths of the oceans than the shallow coastal waters. Unlike sharks however whales and dolphins move forward by flexing their tail up and down, not left and right. Because whale are warm-blooded they need to be able to maintain their body heat. They then push the water out of their mouth and swallow their food whole. 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. When it comes to the anatomy of marine mammals whales, dolphins and porpoises all share several common and unique characteristics that allow them to survive and prosper in the various oceanic environments they can be found living in. First Facts of Blue Whales is their unique colors. This massive heart pumps blood through the blue … The whale emits a high-pitched sound (which often sounds like a click). There are two primary whale suborders that are divided based on their physical characteristics. Orcinus orca Orcas are a well known type of toothed whale. Blue whales have an average length of 25 meters (80 feet) and an average weight of 110 metric tons (120 short tonnes). The organ rests inside the whale's chin, in the gap between the whale's bony jaws (pictured above, click to enlarge). The rostrum is dimpled and bumpy. Blue whales have the largest penises on Earth. They fertilize internally, meaning sperm is deposited inside the female. Ask a stranger to FedEx a whale vagina. ... Earth keeps all its inhabitants close to it, regardless of size. 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. They live in groups called pods. Blue whales eat mainly krill, small crustaceans that while are found in all the oceans they are most numerous in artic seas. 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. Another major difference between whales and fish is the fact that whales breathe air and must rise to the surface of the water to obtain oxygen while fish extract oxygen directly from the water. The anatomy of a whale Lungs. The blue whale is a member of the baleen group. For instance whales possess a thick layer of blubber to keep their vital organs warm in the cold/freezing water. The calf is born tail first after a 12 month pregnancy, and it weighs 6,000 pounds. Most whales do not maintain fixed partnerships during mating, in many species the females have several mates each season. Migration may function to reduce parasitism, pathogens, and competition, provide greater access to prey in the spring and summer, reduce calf predation from orcas, and optimize thermoregulationfor growth in the winter. Because these large marine mammals do not possess teeth they end up swallowing their food whole so they frequently hunt for small manageable prey that is easily consumable and tend to look for large swarms of fish, squid or krill to consume. The aorta of a blue whale is large enough for a child to crawl through. Blue Whale penis. Mammalian scrotums lower ambient temperature to keep sperm viable, so cetaceans had to find a way to compensate. They go in heat any time of the year, but the most common is during the migration to warmer waters for mating season. First, most species of whale have very large bodies that weigh thousands of pounds. 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. Some species of dolphin and porpoise also lack the presence of a dorsal fin. 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. 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. Despite the whale's size, scientists have trouble locating and studying the cetacean in the vastness of the ocean, leaving many questions about the mammal's life history, particularly its mating and courtship behaviors. The main purpose of the dorsal fin is to stabilize the whale and keep it from rolling in the water. 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 flippers are controlled by strong pectoral muscles and can vary in size with each species. 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. Blue whales are the largest animals on the planet. Blue whale penis. It is fibroelastic like those of the blue whale's artiodactyl relatives. One of the ways they do this is to form a thick layer of insulated blubber around their body which acts as a heat insulator and moderator. When that blood is sent directly to the testes, the sperm are cooled below body temperature and remain viable. These are important areas for the whale to protect and of which to be aware. They are dioecious and undergo sexual reproduction. Skin. 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… Blue whales also have a distal spiral valve as a spermatic tube. The number of teeth they posses can vary greatly among each of the species, and some species may not use their teeth for eating. Under these feathers is a very thin layering of skin that protects the inner organs. For a whale/dolphin there is little difference between the inner and outer ear area. The blue whale is a marine mammal that prefers the cold and temperate waters of the Arctic and Antarctic oceans. Cetaceans do not have scrotums like terrestrial mammalian males do. An erect blue whale penis is 12 inches in diameter and ten feet in length. Dorsal fins can vary greatly in terms of shape and size depending on the species of whale and while many species possess a dorsal fin there are some exceptions such as the sperm whale and beluga whale which have no dorsal fin at all. Blue whale while they are carnivores are harmless to almost any thing larger then red crabs. Due to its large size, several organs of the blue whale are the largest in the animal kingdom. 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. 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. The blue whale circulatory system is quiet amazing. There are 4 recognized subspecies of the enormous blue whale, the largest marine mammal in the sea, and possibly that has e… An erect blue whale penis is 12 inches in diameter and ten feet in length. They have lobed kidneys, rather than smooth kidneys. Its mouth contains up to 800 plates of short, wide, black baleen, or “whalebone,” with thick, coarse bristles used for catching food. 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. Although whales breathe air they can spend up to 90% of their lives underwater. A single sperm and egg fertilize to form a diploid zygote. The blowholes are connected directly to the lungs, so the whale can take a mouthful of water and breathe at the same time. Interesting Facts About Human Lungs. These marine mammals use their flippers to perform various aquatic acrobatics such as steering left and right by changing the angle of their flippers and use their flippers to provide lift so they can rise in the water and control their level of aquatic depth. Whale Reproduction and Care of Young. The real size of a blue whales heart is about the size of a VW bug. Photo courtesy of rwhgould. This creates more room. Killer whales are known to use their teeth for everything from biting and wounding their prey to defending themselves when hunting for sharks. The ears of a whale or dolphin are designed differently than a humans ears and are well adapted to marine (aquatic) life. Its very rare for blue whales to eat anything but krill but have been known to eat other crustacean species like the red crab. It is fibroelastic like those of the blue whale's artiodactyl relatives. Blue whales also have a distal spiral valve as a spermatic tube. 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. Its tongue weighs around 2.7 tonnes (3.0 short tons; 2,700 kg) Its mouth is large enough to hold up to 90 tonnes (99 short tons; 90,000 kg) of food and water. Male whales are mature between 7 and 10 years of age. By one estimate, the penis of a blue whale can measure up to 16 feet long, and its … Given the fact that whales and fish inhibit the ocean together it’s easy to assume that they share some close physical characteristics with one another, however this is not the case. 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 mechanism behind modern whale migration is debated. Whales, porpoises and dolphins are  marine mammals and like all mammals they require oxygen to survive. When erect, it peaks out of the genital slit. 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 bottom layering of skin serves the same purpose as the skin for humans. Dusty old papers can only get one so far, so you’ve got to … Since blue whales are placental mammals, the fetus develops inside of the mother in the uterus. The flukes are attached to the end of the whale/dolphin and are used for propulsion. The females have a long vulva with two nipples on each side to nourish newborns. In order to capture their prey baleen whales swim towards their prey with their mouth open and use their baleen as a net to capture as much prey as possible. Their bodies are not designed to hold that kind of weight on land, which is a non buoyant environment. The flippers on a whale or dolphin are used to navigate and steer in the ocean. You will have the chance to observe these marine species in the comfort of … http://www.pbs.org/big-blue-live/ Premieres on BBC One August 23, 27, 30 and on PBS August 31, September 1, 2. In … Baleen whales are the other suborder of the toothed whale species. Some whales also use echolocation to navigate the ocean and rely heavily on sound to observe their surroundings. They Eat a Lot of Krill. 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. At birth the newborn whale is delivered tail first, so the risk of drowning is minimized. The whale is only able to survive because the water it swims in helps to support it's organs. The male and female spend time rolling around each other, then they take a deep dive into the ocean abyss as they continue to communicate with each other. 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. Their organs are also big. The male and female each produce haploid gametes. Normally, they migrate near the equator to reproduce. When erect, it peaks out of the genital slit. However, during the winter months, they are known to migrate to the waters of the Tropics and the Equator. Birth occurs primarily in winter and in early spring in warm waters.