Ocean mammals that breathe air and feed their young on milk, including the blue whale, the largest animal that has ever lived. Their closest living relatives are hippos.
This entry covers a whole group, so the answers describe a typical member. For a specific one, see Blue whale, Humpback whale, Sperm whale, Orca, Narwhal, Beluga.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Yes
Every whale eats animals. Baleen whales filter out krill and plankton; toothed whales hunt fish and squid.
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Day & night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?In places
Arctic Indigenous peoples have traditionally eaten whale meat and blubber.
At a glance
Found inOceans
HabitatOpen ocean, Polar, Coast
ColoursGrey, Blue, Black
SizeHuge
LegsNone
Covered inSkin
Lives inpods
Lives for70–90 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Every ocean, from polar seas to the tropics.
Did you know
A blue whale's heart is roughly the size of a small car.
Often confused with
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