Page 69 - World of Animals - Issue #41

Blowhole
These are the whale’s nostrils.
Dorsal fin Baleen whales have two blowholes

side-by-side. They use these holes to
draw air into the lungs. A muscular
flap covers the holes underwater.

Peduncle
The muscular tail powers the flukes,

allowing for strong dives Tubercles
The small ‘bumps’ on the whale’s

Fluke fins and mouth each contain a
sensory hair. They also aid in
Blubber making the whale extra streamlined
as it cuts through the water.
Tough skin A thick layer
of insulating
blubber keeps Tail fluke

the whale warm As individual as human
faces, tail flukes help to

Flippers identify whales. Flukes
These are the power swimming and dives
largest of any and also help with whale
whales – up to communication, such as
slapping on the sea surface.
one-third of the
body length
“Tubercles aid
in making the

humpback extra
streamlined”
Ear
Humpbacks
communicate Closest family
with sound,
Eyes and have very Closely related to the humpback whale are…
A whale’s sensitive ears Skeleton
eyeballs are
flattened to let

in more light

Blue whale Minke whale Fin whale
The largest animal on The minke whale is Recognised by their
Earth, the blue whale the most abundant of characteristic two-
measures up to 30m the rorqual whales, toned mouth (the

(98.4ƒ) long, and their found throughout the lower jaw is bright
tongues alone can world’s oceans. They white and the upper
weigh as much as too are filter feeders jaw is grey), the huge

an elephant! Like the and are much smaller fin whale species can

Sexual maturity Migration Adult female Adult male humpback, this baleen than humpbacked grow to 24m (78.7ƒ)

5 years 5+ years 6-40 years 15+ years whale also feeds whales. Their stocky long. Their distinctive
Humpback whales have At the right time, whales Females get pregnant every Males can mate from five on krill, consuming bodies measure sharp dorsal fin has

grown up enough to migrate from the feeding 2-3 years, and give birth to years, but aren’t large enough a staggering three around 8-9m (26.2- earned them the

become sexually mature. to the mating grounds. one baby at a time. to compete for females until 15. tonnes per day. 29.5ƒ) long. nickname ‘razorback’.
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