Facts about Whales
- 07
Fin whales can swim at speeds up to 25 miles per hour, making them the fastest cetaceans in the ocean and earning them the nickname greyhounds of the sea.
- 06
Right whales possess baleen plates up to 7 feet long that filter plankton from seawater, making their mouths biological sieves rather than teeth-based feeding mechanisms.
- 05
Bowhead whales live over 200 years, making them the longest-lived mammals on Earth with lifespans exceeding some human civilizations.
- 04
Gray whales possess the longest migration relative to body size of any mammal, traveling roughly 12,000 miles annually from Arctic feeding grounds to Mexican breeding lagoons.
- 03
Humpback whales migrate approximately 16,000 miles annually between Arctic feeding grounds and tropical breeding waters, the longest migration of any mammal on Earth.
- 02
Sperm whales dive deeper than 7,000 feet to hunt giant squid in the ocean's midnight zone, holding their breath for up to 90 minutes.
- 01
Blue whales can consume up to 4 tons of krill daily during feeding season, making them the largest animals ever to exist on Earth.