Fun Facts on Whales!

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There's plenty of myths surrounding whales; these ancient and arcane creatures are only ever rarely - and briefly - seen. And so, like the humans we are, we fill in the gaps with our own creativity. That's not to say the resources on the web are inaccurate or false (thank you, OwlCation, Wikipedia, A-Z Animals, and my elementary school teachers for my relentless fact-checking skills). But it's interesting that we know so little about whales because they've existed for tens of millions of years. What we do know is generally based off of what we observe up here at the surface; at depths of hundreds and thousands of meters below our reach, the lives that whales lead are a mystery. Of course, that's part of why I included this series. Move over lion king, whales are now the modern-day gods of the animal kingdom. This post includes five myths on whales along with five facts that tell the real story under the surface. 


1. Whales spout out seawater from their blowholes

Whales actually shoot out hot air through their blowholes. This warm air condenses as it escapes into the cooler surface air which forms water droplets, creating the effect of saltwater shooting out. What comes out has no salt at all; this is because when whales come up to the surface for oxygen, they fill up their longs with fresh air, causing the warm air to come out. If you think about it, a whale spout is like a really moist fart. I guess that makes the blowhole that other b-hole then.  


2. Whales (and other marine mammals) don't pee


While the last myth is a common misconception, I'm not sure how many people actually think this one is true. Whales (and other marine mammals) definitely pee. And yes, it all goes into the ocean (just something to think about the next time you visit a beach). On average, each day, one whale produces 150-260 gallons of pee. There are more than a million whales out there; you do the math on that one. Whale pee is actually vital to the environment. It's a source of phosphorus and nitrogen and is necessary to maintain the ocean's biogeochemical cycles. 

3. Whales (and other marine mammals) don't sleep


This one's a little creepy. Whales do sleep...exactly the way shown above. By sleeping vertically and near the ocean's surface, whales are able to quickly get a breath of air if needed. This is also said to be an energy-efficient way of resting. Whales are able to stay alert to environmental threats while sleeping by keeping one half of the brain awake at all times. 






https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/secrets-of-deep-diving-whales.html

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/whale-lifespan-how-long-do-whales-live/

https://www.thesciearth.com/2020/12/sleeping-whales-photographer-reveals.html

https://owlcation.com/stem/fun-facts-about-whales/

https://www.dkfindout.com/us/animals-and-nature/whales-dolphins-and-porpoises/how-do-whales-breathe/

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