16/01/2025
whale fact Wednesday
Whales are magnificent creatures. Not only are they highly intelligent, complex communicators, and the largest living animals on our planet, but they also protect us and the environment by providing the nutrients that help phytoplankton (tiny marine organisms that use photosynthesis) produce more than 50% of the world’s oxygen.
Did you know that all species of whales are grouped into just two suborders? There are 76 species of odontocetes (toothed whales), for example (killer whales) or otherwise known as orca which use teeth to hunt for prey, and 14 species of mysticetes (baleen whales), for example (humpback whales) which use baleen plates to filter food from the water. Baleen consists of bristle-like structures made from keratin—the same protein that makes human hair and fingernails.