Amazing Whales

Amazing Whales

What Are Whales? Whales are the biggest animals in the sea. They look like fish, but they are not fish. Whales are mammals. Read this book to find out more about the amazing life of whales.

There are two kinds of whales. There are toothed whales and baleen whales. Most whales are toothed whales. Whales Toothed Whales: Beluga whale; Dolphin; Killer whale; Pilot whale; Sperm whale Baleen Whales: Blue whale; Finback whale; Grey whale; Humpback whale; Right whale All whales have a blowhole on top of their head. They breathe through the hole. The hole is open when the whales breathe. It is closed when the whales are under the water. Toothed whales have one blowhole. Baleen whales have two holes for breathing.

Toothed whales have teeth. They use their teeth to catch small fish and other sea animals. Dolphins and beluga whales are toothed whales. Baleen whales do not have teeth. They have a baleen. A baleen looks like a comb. Right whales and grey whales are baleen whales.

A Whale's Life Like all mammals, whales give birth to live babies. A baby whale is called a calf. A female whale can have a calf every one to three years. A calf can swim as soon as it is born. It lives with its mother for a year or more. The calf needs to drink its mother's milk.

Toothed whales eat fish and other sea animals. Baleen whales eat lots of tiny living things such as small fish, shellfish and sea animals. Some baleen whales can eat 40 million tiny sea animals in one day! Most baleen whales swim with their mouth open. They let water and living things into their open mouth. Then they close their mouth and push the water out. They eat the living things trapped in their baleen.