What is a baleen whales habitat?
Some baleen whales are coastal (they stay near shore). They forage along the productive continental shelf area. Some species give birth and rear young in protected coastal bays and lagoons.
What adaptations do whales have for their environment?
To help them adapt to the ocean, whales developed echolocation, thick layers of blubber, modified lungs, better hearing, and larger arteries, among other things, to ensure their survival and prosperity.
Is baleen an adaptation?
Minke whales have about 230 to 360 on each side. Baleen is an adaptation for filter-feeding. Parasitic copepods, nematodes, and protozoans can infest a whale’s baleen plates. Baleen whales do not have teeth.
How do baleen whales survive?
Baleen whales have two blowholes. Some species are well adapted for diving to great depths. They have a layer of fat, or blubber, under the skin to keep warm in the cold water. Although baleen whales are widespread, most species prefer the colder waters of the Arctic and Antarctic.
How do whales use baleen?
To use baleen, the whale first opens its mouth underwater to take in water. The whale then pushes the water out, and animals such as krill are filtered by the baleen and remain as a food source for the whale.
How do baleen whales move?
Whales swim forward by flexing their tails up and down, instead of side to side as with most fish. To change direction, they move their flippers, similar to the way an airplane steers (read How Sharks Work for details). The dorsal fins, if present, serve to stabilize the whale’s body as it swims.
How did whales adapt to breathe in the water?
Rather than keeping oxygen in their lungs like humans do, whales’ bodies are specially adapted to store oxygen in their blood and muscles. They have extraordinarily high levels of the oxygen-storing proteins haemoglobin and myoglobin.
What do whales need to survive?
Because they live underwater, blue whales need highly efficient lungs to survive. Their lungs exchange 80-90% of oxygen, as opposed to humans who only exchange 10-15%. The trachea extends all the way to the center of the lungs to help adapt to its diving habits.
What whales have baleen plates?
Home > About whales & dolphins > What is baleen? There are 14 species of baleen whale including the blue, bowhead, right, humpback, minke and grey whale. Baleen whales are generally larger than toothed whales except for the sperm whale which is very big and has teeth.
What is something interesting about the baleen whale?
Baleen whales include twelve different species of marine mammals, including humpbacks and gray whales. Their name comes from the baleen plates that are used to trap food by straining ocean water. These animals have strong tail flukes, and they can hear and communicate with each other under water.
What are baleen whales adapted for?
All marine mammals have special physiological adaptations during a dive. These adaptations enable a baleen whale to conserve oxygen while underwater. Baleen whales, like other mammals, have a slower heart rate while diving.
Do baleen whales use echolocation?
Toothed whales and dolphins (for example killer whales and bottle-nose dolphins) use echolocation for hunting and navigating, while baleen whales (for example humpbacks and blue whales) generally produce a series of sounds which are frequently termed ‘songs’ that are used for communicating.
What adaptations do baleen whales have to conserve oxygen?
All marine mammals have special physiological adaptations during a dive. These adaptations enable a baleen whale to conserve oxygen while underwater. Baleen whales, like other mammals, have a slower heart rate while diving.
What is the distribution of baleen whales?
Habitat and Distribution 1 Distribution. Baleen whales can be found in all oceans worldwide, from polar seas to temperate and tropical zones. 2 Habitat. Some baleen whales are coastal (they stay near shore). 3 Migration. 4 Population. 5 Baleen Whale Distribution & Abundance
What is the body temperature of a baleen whale?
Thermoregulation Like all mammals, whales are warm-blooded. A baleen whale’s core body temperature is about 36.6˚–37.2˚C (98–99˚F) – about the same as that of a human. Living in the sea poses a particular challenge to marine mammals, because heat loss occurs about 27 times faster in water than in air at the same temperature.
How fast do baleen whales migrate?
Gray whales migrate at about 10–11 kph (6–7 mph). The thick layer of blubber under the skin of a whale results in a streamlined, fusiform body, making a whale energy-efficient for swimming. Many species of baleen whales feed in relatively shallow areas of the continental shelf.