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What happens when whales give birth?
How do whales give birth? Because whales are mammals, their calves grow inside their mothers and are born through live births. During the whale birth process, calves will emerge fins first. Once a female whale gives birth, they typically nudge their calf up to the ocean surface so they can take their first breath.
Do whales die from old age?
Yes, whales die of old age. Whales live a lot longer than most mammals, but each species of whale lives for a different amount of time. Some of them even have longer lifespans than humans.
Do whales drown when they die?
Not all whales sink to the bottom of the ocean when they die, however. Some instead become stranded on coasts around the world. Although efforts are often made to save them, without water to maintain their buoyancy, the weight of the whale’s own body soon begins to crush the internal organs.
Where do whales go to die?
Most carcasses never reach the coast, and are scavenged, or decompose enough to sink to the ocean bottom, where the carcass forms the basis of a unique local ecosystem called a whale fall.
When do whales give birth to their calves?
Many whale calves will be born during the migration process, as female whales will try to get to warmer waters so their offspring can be born in more temperate conditions. Because whales are mammals, their calves grow inside their mothers and are born through live births. During birth, calves will emerge fins first.
How big are killer whales when they are born?
Calf at Birth. Size estimates of SeaWorld-born killer whales suggest that newborn calves are about 2.6 m (8.5 ft.) long and 120 to 160 kg (265 to 353 lbs.). In the first few days after birth, the dorsal fin and tail flukes are flexible and pliable.
Is it true that whales do not lay eggs?
Do whales lay eggs? The answer is no. Because whales are marine mammals, the females carry the offspring in their wombs and have live births! However, since whales are fully aquatic mammals, how whales give births is much different than the births of terrestrial and semi-aquatic animals.
How big is a blue whale when it gives birth?
During the whale birth process, calves will emerge fins first. The size of a whale calf will depend on the size of the mother, but generally speaking you can expect it to be about ¼ the length of the mother. So, the whale calf of the blue whale species (the largest whale) will be significantly larger than that of a grey whale, for instance.