Female sperm whales travel in groups with their young, circling the oceans to find food, they may travel
a million miles in a lifetime
. Inhabiting warmer waters than the males who thrive in the Arctic, they must meet up in the middle near the Azores.
How far do whales travel a day?
Southern Resident Killer Whales travel an average of
75 miles (120 kilometers)
a day. They are capable of sustaining an average speed of over 6 knots (8 miles per hour/12.87 km per hour) for long periods of time and can go as fast as 30 miles per hour (48 km per hour) for short periods.
How much do whales travel?
Scientists have long wondered why whales—baleens, such as humpbacks and blues, and toothed whales, such as sperm and killer whales—travel
up to 18,840 kilometers every year
between their feeding grounds in polar waters and warmer, tropical seas.
How fast does a sperm whale travel?
They can cruise at a speed of
4 knots (7.4 km/hr, or 4.6 mph)
and swim in spurts at up to 20 knots (37 km/hr, or 23 mph).
Are whales migrating now?
Gray whales are migrating along California’s coast right now
. Here’s where to see them. A baby gray whale swims with its mother off Dana Point. The gray whales are back, hugging the California coast while they make their 10,000-mile journey from Alaska to breed in the warm-water lagoons of Baja, Mexico, and back.
Where are the whales migrating now?
Every winter, these massive creatures — which reach lengths approaching 50 feet and often live up to 70 years — migrate from the nutrient-rich waters of Alaska to the warm breeding grounds of
Baja, California
.
How long do sperm whales live?
Their typical lifespan is
70 years, but some may live longer
. The sperm whale is federally listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The animal is safeguarded in U.S. waters by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and worldwide by international whaling agreements.
Why do humpback whales go to Hawaii?
Humpback whales are here in Hawaii
to breed and give birth to their calves
, and not only is the breeding process more enjoyable in warmer water but if humpback calves were born in Alaska, they’d most likely freeze to death.
How big is a humpbacks mouth?
Though a humpback could easily fit a human inside its huge mouth—which can reach
around 10 feet
—it’s scientifically impossible for the whale to swallow a human once inside, according to Nicola Hodgins of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation, a U.K. nonprofit.
How big do sperm whales get?
52 ft.
Do orca whales migrate?
Type A killer whales appear to be migratory, entering Antarctic waters during the austral summer
. Type B (Antarctic killer whales) undertake rapid migrations from the Antarctic to subtropical waters off Uruguay and Brazil. These rapid travels may be over 5,800 miles (9,400 km) round trip.
How far will a blue whale travel?
Each year, blue whales embark on
4,000-mile
migrations. They spend the warm summer months feasting on krill in cooler, northern waters before traveling southward to their winter mating grounds in the tropics.
What animal produces the largest amount of sperm?
Among the largest ejaculates relative to body size belongs to the
boar Sus scrofa
. Lüpold said that males of this boar “seem to produce ejaculates of over 50 billion sperm, which is well over 100 times a human ejaculate.”
Do sperm whales eat sharks?
Sperm whales eat a diet that includes squid, sharks, rays, and fish
. Sperm whales eat a diet that consists of squid, sharks, shrimp, and other foods. They are predominately carnivores and are considered an apex predator of the ocean.
Are sperm whales friendly?
Sperm whales are friendly towards humans
and are naturally inquisitive animals. They will likely swim up to you to get a closer look, but this does not mean that they are a threat.
How long can sperm whales stay underwater?
A sperm whale can spend around
90 minutes
hunting underwater before it has to come back to the surface to breathe. In 1969, a male sperm whale was killed off the coast of South Africa after surfacing from a dive lasting 117 minutes.
Are there whales off the coast of California?
There are three main species of whales that frequent the California Central Coast: Gray whales; Blue whales and Humpback whales
. Additionally, Killer whales (orcas) are often seen in Monterey Bay as the gray whales pass through in the spring.
Where are the GREY whales now?
Today,
23,000 gray whales are found only in the Pacific
. The main population summers north of Alaska in the Bering and Chukchi Seas and winters in the waters of Baja California. Another population in the Pacific, found in the waters of Korea and Japan, is close to extinction with less than 50 individuals.
How many miles do gray whales migrate?
Gray whales make one of the longest annual migrations of any mammal, traveling
about 10,000 miles round-trip and in some cases upwards of 14,000 miles
.
When can you see whales in Baja?
Though whale watching is a year-round activity, Baja whale season peaks in the winter months of January through March. However, you can expect to see gray whales off the coast of the Baja peninsula from
late December through April
.
Do all humpback whales migrate?
Not all Humpbacks Migrate South
? Interestingly, despite being strongly migratory, humpback whales are seen during all months of the year along the coast of B.C. The timing of migration varies quite widely.
Are sperm whales intelligent?
Overall,
sperm whales are considered intelligent marine mammals
with highly specialized skills.
Are sperm whales aggressive?
Cumbaa: Sperm whales are pretty unique. They grew to very large sizes and
they’re certainly aggressive
. They’re the largest toothed whale. They’re not as sharp, but their teeth are Tyrannosaurus Rex-sized.
How many blue whales are there left?
Sadly, there are only about
10,000 to 25,000
blue whales left in the world today. Though it may sound like a large number, this is incredibly low. The populations of the blue whale have decreased exponentially since about 1911.
Why do whales hit their tails on the water?
Whales slap their tails
as a means of communication, to warn away predators or other males, and to impress a potential mate
. Different species of whale lobtail differently. Humpback whales will lobtail repeatedly. They will raise their tail back and forth many times to slap the water.
Where do whales go in winter?
There are over 80 species of whales, and each has their own movement patterns, many of which are not yet fully understood. In general, whales migrate toward the colder poles in the summer and
toward the more tropical waters of the equator
in the winter.
How long does it take for a whale to go from Alaska to Hawaii?
Whales spend
6-8 weeks
migrating between Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands.
