Ask Me Everything7

Why are whales so big?

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A blue whale is the biggest animal ever.

It can grow up to 108 ft (33 m) long and weighs the same as 30 elephants. On land, such a large animal would collapse under its own weight, but the water supports its bulky body. A whale’s size puts off predators, and its blubber helps it to stay warm in polar waters.

FAST FACTS

Cetaceans

01: Whales, dolphins, and porpoise are all cetaceans, a group of marinę mammals.

02: Like all mammals,

they are warm-blooded, give birth to live young, breathe air, and have some hair (whiskers).

Toothed whales include porpoise, dolphins, beaked whales, and orcas (killer whales).

04: Porpoises are smaller than dolphins and have rounded, beakless heads

How to: dive like a sperm whale

01

02

Dive, dive, dive in a vertical descent. It will take you around 15 minutes to reach a depth of 3,280 ft (1,000 m.) Cut your heart ratę by half to save oxygen.

Raise your huge taił ftukes (lobes) in the air—this is called “fluking up.”