Facts About WhalesThere are 80 species of whales in the world, divided in 2 categories: toothed whales and baleen whales. Toothed whales are the sperm whale, the killer whale, the pilot whale and the beluga whale. In the baleen whales category there are the blue whales, the bow-head whales and the minke whales. The largest animal on the planet is the blue whale which can weight over 16 tons. The longest specimen ever recorded was 33,58 meters. A blue whale can live between 30 and 80 years. Their hearts can reach the size of a small car. Blue whale babies are born with a length of almost 7 meters and they eat 225 liters of milk daily.The killer whale, also known as the orca whale is a part of the Delphiniade family. It is the largest member of its species and it can reach 10 meters and 9 tons. The female is a bit smaller, with a length of almost 7 meters. It is called the killer whale because of it strong jaws and long, sharp teeth. The killer whale has 50 teeth. When they hunt, they can reach speeds of almost 60km per hour, which is the reason why orcas can be often spotted hunting fishing boats. Orca whales can be found in all the oceans, but they prefer cold and temperate waters. Some populations migrate, while other whale populations remain in the same area for a long time, eventually traveling on short distances and predictable routes. Another fact about whales is that their social life is very active, they live in groups made of a few families. A family has 4-5 members and they have a matriarchal family. Studies have showed that each group has a specific dialect and members know each other by their language. Whales are mammals, they feed their babies with milk, they have mammary glands and are warm-blooded. All whales breathe air and they are considered endangered animals due to heavy hunting.
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