Whales are warm-blooded sea mammals. This means that their body temperature does not change in water. Whales have lungs, which help them to breathe in water. They occasionally go to the water’s surface to breathe in oxygen. Whales give birth to live young ones. Their young ones drink milk.
Whales live in oceans all over the world. The largest animal in the world is the blue whale. The blue whale can reach up to 110 tons and can grow up to 100 feet. Whales are important in the ocean’s ecosystem. This is because they are at the top of the food chain.
Whales live together and love hunting in groups or pods. The pods help cooperate during hunting and can catch their prey. The pods also help in protecting the whales, especially the weak, injured, and calves.
Whales are classified into two groups. The first group is the Baleen whales. These are whales do not have teeth. Baleen acts as a filter-feeding system. When a whale swallows a school of fish, there are small spaces in the baleen that allow water to come out of the whale’s mouth.
The other group of whales is the toothed whales. These are whales with teeth. They use their teeth to cut and bite their prey if it is too big. Some of the whales that fall into this category include the sperm whale, killer whales, dolphins, white whales, and others.
Do Whales Eat Fish?
Yes! Whales do eat fish. The fish whales will eat will depend on the type of whale. It will also depend on the location that the whale lives. Baleen whales use the filter-feeding method. This is where they swallow the fish and filter using their baleens to remove excess water in their mouth.
Fish are an important part of the whale’s diet. Fish are full of omega 3 and fatty acids, which help the whales to grow. Different whales prefer different types of fish.
What small fish do whales eat?
Fish are an essential part of a whale’s diet. It is safe to say that all whales do eat small fish at some point in their lifetime. Some whales like the killer whale also feed on other larger sea mammals. The largest animal, the blue whale feeds on fish called krill.
A blue whale can eat up to four tons of krill every day. Krill is the main part of their diet. Some other whales also love eating krill. This includes the right whales, minke whales, fin whales, and sei whales.
Whales also eat other small fish apart from krill. These include
- Herring
- Anchovy
- Salmon
- Mackerel
- Pigeon guillemot
- Common scoter
The fish whales eat are important to help them grow.
Do whales eat humans?
The simple answer to this question is no. Whales do not eat humans. Humans have never been part of a whale’s diet. Whales prefer to eat other sea creatures. These include small fish, squids, octopuses, crabs, and krill among others.
The killer whale eats larger sea animals like seals, dolphins, penguins, herring, some other large whales, squids, sharks, sea lions, and others.
Do whales eat seals?
Killer whales do eat seals. While in the arctic regions, killer whales slide on the ice and grab seals. Since they are mammals and can breathe outside water, killer whales sometimes get out of the water to look for the seals.
Once a killer whale has spotted a seal, it will slide on the ice and catch the seal using its teeth. Sometimes, the killer whale will hit the block of ice where the seal is making the seal fall into the water. Killer whales are fast mammals. By using its speed, it will go after the seal and bite it.
Do whales eat penguins?
Penguins are birds that cannot fly on land. They instead “fly” in water through swimming and diving. Penguins live in some different parts of the world like Antarctica, Antarctic, South Africa, Peru, and New Zealand. Due to their habitat, penguins have feathers that keep them warm.
While in water, the only whale that preys on penguins is the killer whale. Killer whales are fast swimmers. They use this to their advantage while hunting penguins. When in pods, killer whales trap the penguins and hunt them.
Do whales eat squid?
Squids are carnivorous animals found in oceans all over the world. They are cold-blooded. It has 8 arms and two tentacles. Squids can weigh up to 500kgs. Squids feed on shrimps, oysters, crabs, and lantern fish among others.
Different species of whales feed on squids. These include sperm whales, killer whales, white whales, beaked whales. Sperm whales feed on large squids.
How do whales eat krill?
Krill are shrimp-like sea animals. They are invertebrates and live in swarms. Krill are important in the ocean’s ecosystem. Krill can live up to 10 years. Many animals in the ocean feed on krill.
Whales also feed on krill. How do they do this? The baleen whales do not have teeth. The baleen has hard plates on the whale’s jaws. The plates help in collecting and trapping the krill. When a whale spots a swarm of krill, it swims fast towards it.
The baleen whale opens its mouth and draws in the krill and water. The whale’s throat expands, hence increasing the size of the mouth. The whale’s mouth fills up with the krill. When full, the whale’s mouth closes, and the throat contracts removing the water through the baleen. The krill captured is then trapped and the whale swallows it.
Do whales eat shrimps and planktons?
Yes! Whales do eat shrimps. Shrimps and crabs are part of whales’ diets. Some whales like the blue whale also eat plankton. It is estimated that the blue whale can eat up to 16 tons of plankton in a day. Planktons are important in the ocean’s ecosystem.
conclusion
Whales are sea mammals with a diverse diet. Whales use different hunting techniques like echolocation: the use of sound to observe and locate prey. Some whales also use bottom-feeding as a hunting technique. A whale’s diet helps it get the needed nutrients to grow.