Giant Creatures In The Ocean
Having life on Earth is not an accident. Because the earth has sufficient oxygen and suitable temperature, the earth has also become a celestial body that nourishes life.
Whales are mammals with an adult body length of up to 2.5 meters. Males are slightly larger than females and can weigh up to 180 kilograms.
Mostly in large groups of tens to hundreds of heads, they divide into small groups when feeding, and gather into large groups when resting or moving.
Habits of whales.
Food.
Whales in the Southern Ocean mainly feed on krill, but also some crustacean zooplankton such as copepods. Sperm whales, toothed whales, eat mainly squid and fish.
Whales do not drink seawater, but extract water from their food by metabolizing fats.
Breathe.
"Fountain" breathing is a unique living habit of whales.
Breed.
Breeds outside Antarctica, usually once a year, with one litter per litter. The gestation period is generally 9 to 12 months, 12 months for blue whales, and 16 months for sperm whales.
How do whales breathe when they sleep?
When they sleep, they rely on the whale's left and right brain to take turns resting to move. When the left brain is at rest, the right brain is responsible for regulating surface breathing. Likewise, while the right brain is at rest, it is the left brain's turn to regulate surface breathing.
Body temperature.
The common feature of cetaceans is a constant body temperature, about 35.4 ℃. Bare skin, no body hair, only a few setae on the muzzle, no sweat or sebaceous glands.
Place of residence.
While their specific ranges vary by species, whales live in oceans around the world. Because whales have a lot of body fat, they float easily in the water.
Speed.
Baleen whales generally swim at 30 kilometers per hour and 40 kilometers per hour when startled.
Sperm whales swim at a slower speed, generally 10 kilometers per hour, and the fastest is 25 kilometers. The diving time and depth of the whales are also amazing, they can dive into the deep sea of 200 to 300 meters for 2 hours.
Why whales get stranded.
Unfavorable terrain.
During predation, if the whales follow their prey to relatively calm waters, when the tide ebbs, the whales get stranded on the sand.
Or when the prey is chased into water with steeper slopes, the echoes sent out are inaccurate, causing the whale to become disoriented and lead to stranding.
Environmental pollution.
The cause of whale stranding is environmental pollution. When a whale's habitat becomes polluted, they are forced to leave their original habitat and re-find suitable habitat.
Human interference.
Some human activities can interfere with the whale's judgment, causing it to run aground on the beach, such as sonar in the water.
Life in the ocean came to land after evolution, and life on land evolved again to the sky. Therefore, the ocean as the origin of life is mysterious and great.