What does the whale breathe? Appearance and structure of the whale

Who do you imagine when you hear about whales? Someone will think about the huge blue giant, the most powerful sea animal. And someone will remember about the killer whales because of the famous movie "Free Willy." But whatever marine inhabitant you have presented, the question always arises: what does the whale breathe? How can he stay under water for a long time? Let's try to answer these questions.

Appearance

Whales are huge mammals that are spread all over the world. These giants live in all oceans, both in warm and in cold. The peculiarity of their appearance is grandiose dimensions. So, the blue whale is the largest species of cetaceans. It can reach a length of more than 30 meters and weigh up to 150 tons. But there are also small species, the sizes of which do not exceed 2 meters.

Interestingly, the head of the whales is huge and reaches 1/3 the length of the entire body. The neck is very short and not noticeable. This raises the question: what does the whale breathe, does it have nostrils like all mammals? It turns out there. On the head, or rather at its uppermost part, there is a respiratory aperture. It must be said that in the toothed whales there is only one nostril on the head, while in the moustached whales there are two. We all remember the illustrations, where the whale is depicted with a fountain above its head. So this fountain is formed when the whale expels moist air, and by the appearance of the fountain itself one can know the species of cetaceans.

Another common indicator of the whale is the presence of powerful fins. And in different species they differ in size. It is this feature that gives them the opportunity to develop considerable speed and gives excellent maneuverability. It is interesting that humpback whales have the largest pectoral fins, like giant wings. And the impact of the tail of a blue whale can easily sink a ship.

Features of the structure

Another distinctive feature is that the whale is a warm-blooded animal, unlike all other inhabitants of the world ocean. This explains the fact that he can live in all seas, regardless of the temperature of the environment. A huge fat layer, which in some whales reaches 1 meter, protects the animal from hypothermia. Interestingly, there is no fat in the tail, and this explains why the whale does not overheat when it is in warm tropical waters.

The brain of animals is also unique. The most developed in cetacean rumor. Everyone knows the fact that whale songs can be heard at a distance of tens of kilometers. They also have excellent echolocation, thanks to which the giants perfectly communicate, and also hunt and move in the water column. Their eyesight is also developed perfectly. With the help of a protective fluid produced by certain glands, the whale is able to clearly see under water. All other sense organs are rather poorly developed.

The system of respiratory organs has its own characteristics: the whale's lungs are not associated with the larynx. Thus, when inhaled does not swallow the water. The nasal apertures located on the top of the head are connected directly with the lungs. But what does the whale breathe underwater? The answer is simple: like all mammals, underwater, he holds his breath. Its nostrils are closed when immersed like valves. The brain commands the entire body to include a kind of economical regime, as a result of which oxygen enters only the heart and brain. This allows whales to dive to a depth of up to 2000 meters.

Moustached whales

This detachment of cetaceans is the largest of all existing. It includes: a blue whale, finval, seyval, humpback, or humpback whale, gray and bowhead whales, and also a minke whale. All these animals have one feature of the structure - they do not have teeth, but instead they have horny plates, which are called whale whiskers. It is from this feature that the detachment received its name.

Moustached whales feed on small plankton or fishes that fall on their way. An interesting way to feed these animals. The whale reveals a huge mouth and swallows a trifle along with a huge amount of water. Then, with the help of a giant tongue, he pushes the water out like a piston, and the food that is caught remains within the mouth, without passing through the mustache. In this way, the whale absorbs up to 6 tons of plankton per day.

Toothed whales

As everyone understands, this squad has sharp teeth. For each individual species, they differ in size and shape. This category includes sperm whales, killer whales and dolphins. They differ in taste preferences. Dolphins, for example, like to hunt for fish, and killer whales prefer in their diet of seals and fur seals. Sperm whales, for the most part, prey on squid and cuttlefish, while diving to very deep depths.

All toothed whales are magnificent hunters. Often killer whales, also called killer whales, can attack large baleen whales. Their favorite delicacy is huge languages, the rest of the whale is of little interest. Since baleen whales are mostly single animals, and toothed whales are gregarious, attacks often occur.

The birth of babies

Since the whale is a warm-blooded animal, the cubs also appear fully formed, as in all mammals. What does the whale breathe when it comes to light? The baby is born a tail forward and thanks to a caring mother, her first breath does just after birth. The female pushes it to the surface to make the respiratory system work to the full, and the lungs open, just like a human.

It is also interesting that small kittens eat milk. An adult has two mammary glands, but the whale does not suck milk, like all mammals, but receives it by injection. Next to the nipple is a system of muscles that perform this function. In addition, the milk is very fat and dense, so that the baby is gaining weight very quickly - up to 100 kilograms per day. Mother and baby are kept on the surface, since the cub can not for a long time remain under water. As the growth of the whale is improved in swimming and diving.

Songs of whales

The way of communication of whales is also unique. These creatures are able to perform melodies. Often their singing is so harmonious and beautiful that it can calm and even put a person to sleep. It should be noted that not all giants are singing. Especially these abilities are possessed by humpback whales, which are even called singing. Why they are making such sounds, is still not known. Presumably these are marriage songs, but they can vary from season to season.

The whale breathes lungs. This is an amazing sea creature, which has many more mysteries that we do not understand. Until the middle of the 20th century, whales were simply destroyed for the needs of mankind, and today many of them are under protection.