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There is no doubt that baby whales are ridiculously cute giants under the sea. They are miraculous sea creatures that belong to the largest animals in the world. Did you know that baby blue whales gain an average of 200 pounds a day or that whale calves breastfeed more than 40 times a day? Keep reading to discover five amazing facts about whale calves and to see some very adorable photos.
#1: Baby Whales Can’t Breathe Underwater
Did you know that baby whales can’t breathe underwater? It’s true! Even though they are sea creatures, whales are mammals, meaning they lack the gills needed to breathe underwater.
Instead of taking oxygen from the water, whales use their blowholes to breathe in air from the water’s surface. They use their mouth solely for eating and are physically unable to exhale. Some whales even have two blowholes because they are so big!
Since whales cannot breathe while swimming under the sea, this means they have to hold their breath. The average whale can hold its breath for up to 90 minutes before having to go up for more air! That’s about the same amount of time it takes to watch an entire movie!
#2: Whale Calves Are Seriously Huge!
Whales are some of the largest animals in the world, and baby whales are no exception. Baby whale calves, which will grow into the world’s largest mammal, are born weighing as much as six to eight ton. These giant babies take about ten to fifteen years to reach full maturity and can live up to 90 years in the wild.
as a baby blue whales grow, they are expected to gain about 200 pounds per day. Their mother’s milk is extremely high in fat, allowing them to pack on the pounds at such an astonishing rate. These statistics make the blue whale calf is the fastest growing animal in the world.
The sperm whale and the right whale are also among the largest whales in the world. Both species weigh about a ton as newborns.
#3: Beluga Baby Calves Can Swim Backwards
Baby beluga whales are one of the most unique whales in the world. For example, these adorable calves can swim backwards and blow bubbles, qualities that other whale species lack.
Ready for one more fact that sets baby Beluga whales apart? They undergo an annual molt. This means that once a year they completely shed their skin to reveal a new layer of skin underneath.
Since baby beluga whales are Arctic whales, they also do not have a dorsal fin. This helps ensure that they can stay warm in the cold water, as these fins allow too much heat to pass through for their bodies to escape. These adorable babies have a layer of blubber under their skin that helps to retain heat despite the extremely cold temperatures of the water they live in.
#4: Bowhead whales can live up to 200 years!
Of all the baby whales on the planet, bowhead whale calves become the oldest. On average, these babies already haveif a span of 200 years or more. However, they are not just the longest-lived whale; they are also one of the longest-lived animals in the world, holding the No. 1 spot for longest-lived mammals.
#5: Baby whale nurse more than 40 times a day
We already know that baby whales gain some serious pounds every day. The largest whales can gain up to 200 pounds per day. You can probably imagine how much food a whale must eat to gain so much weight, but it’s hard to fathom how breast milk alone can make whales grow so fast.
Whale breast milk is not comparable in texture or thickness to the milk in your refrigerator. It is similar in consistency to cottage cheese and in thickness to a milkshake. This is because, since baby whales require a lot of food to support such extreme growth, their mother’s milk has a fat content of 35% to 50%.
Mother sharks can produce up to 200 liters of milk per day. Their mammary glands can weigh as much as a baby elephant! Look, that’s a lot of milk!
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