"Sometimes, a single large male will find a nursing pod that will invariably become his harem, as he may mate with multiple females in the nursing pod. Outward behaviors may include chasing each other, head bumps, or even biting their intended mate. When it comes to habitat, Sperm Whales are usually found in tropical waters to sub-polar waters. Baleen whales have two blow holes, and toothed whales have one. 5. Baby whales. 28. They don’t spawn like many other fish species, which release their gametes into the water column to meet up and create fertilized eggs and larvae. Whales are polygamous mammals, with females giving birth to live young and nursing them for several months. Therefore, we will discuss the life cycles in general terms, but will specify species where possible and relevant. They are frequently seen in Kaikōura during winter months (Jun / Jul / Aug) where they sometimes perform spectacular displays of spyhopping, breaching, lobtailing and flipper slapping. Wolves. Whales also differ from other mammals in that they give birth in water. The combination of having less whales to communicate and the increased difficulty in finding a mating partner can create stress that reduces an endangered whales life expectancy. Home Science Math History Literature Technology Health Law Business All Topics Random. At least, a recent Facebook post equates the two. Beluga whales use a variety of behaviors, like complex vocalizations, to keep social order, assert dominance, courtship, or initiate breeding. The eastern Humpback whales of eastern Australia Each year between April and November, Australia’s eastern coastline comes alive with the spectacular acrobatic displays of humpback whales. They usually stay in offshore areas in open oceans. Do humpback whales mate for life … Swans are unique among birds, and although not all swans mate for life, many of them do. Celebrate love this Valentine's Day by seeing how the animal kingdom gets romantic. Blue whales have the largest penises on Earth. Baby whales are called calves. 26. Whales hold their breath until they decide to expel it, which they do in sudden bursts called “blows.” They’re voluntary breathers, not involuntary breathers like the rest of us. Blue whales can breed from when they are about 7 - 10 years old. Life cycles can vary quite dramatically species to species, but roughly divided, most life cycles can be split into the three stages of baby, adolescent and adult. Whistles, shrills, pulses, and other signals are used for social communication and bonding. They are known to live up to 100 years, become fertile starting approximately age 10, and most interestingly, females go through menopause. The retracted penis curves in an S-shaped loop and stays inside the body. The duration of each stage varies substantially according to the species – and there are even species we know very little about! Image Credit: Tambako The Jaguar . Except for high Arctic, Sperm Whales are found in every ocean in this world. Males reach sexual maturity at around 13 years of age or 5.2-6.4 meters in length, depending on the ecotype, while females reach it between six and ten years or when they are 4.6 to 5.4 meters long. On their breeding grounds, southern right whales form large mating groups, which sometimes include several males trying to mate with a female. This is, in fact, a very rare phenomenon in the animal kingdom. Traveling more than 15,000 miles around the world, thousands of humpback whales are making their way from the South American coast to the ice caps of Antarctica for their bi-annual migration. Sperm Whale Facts: 26-30 | Range, Habitat, Status. In reality, the whales were orchestrating an elaborate courtship, something their species does often. An erect blue whale penis is 12 inches in diameter and ten feet in length. During breeding season, the male, or bull whale, copulates underwater with the female, or cow, in a complex mating ritual that varies widely from species to species. Females generally breed every 2 or 3 years. "Sperm whales will live in pods when they are younger, or if they are in a nursing pod, but otherwise, large whales tend to live alone," says Stewart. A female blue whale gives birth about a year after mating with a male blue whale. To put that into perspective, an adult male African elephant weighs six tonnes! ADVERTISEMENT. Tipping the scales at up to 200 tonnes, a whale needs to eat about four tonnes of krill (shrimp-like crustaceans) daily. These birds apparently arrived here from Argentina in the late 1960s and early ’70s. Large passing ships are unlikely to see a whale, or may be unable to divert course if they do see one. It is not easy to define the life cycles of whales in general, since there are so many different and unique species. Do hippos mate for life? See photos of wild sweethearts from National Geographic's Photo Ark. While whales don’t reproduce early in life, the often live a very long and healthy life. The first 2 links I list is an explanation of bird reproduction. For example killer whales are known to follow the migratory patterns of their prey and can mate any time of the year, although they do have a prime time for mating. Killer whales are a polygamous species, and they may have multiple partners in a single season. After that, the adult male will venture off on his own again." Research shows that whales can have a life span between 40 and 100 years. Woe, to be a third wheel. However, many couples in the animal world do pair up for life. Log in Ask Question. How do whales get struck by ships? Penguins do NOT mate for life, only for one season. Humpback Whales tend to feed within 50m of the water's surface, taking krill and shoaling fish. Why Some Ocean Animals (Sort Of) Mate For Life A look at the mating systems of some monogamous ocean animals show that finding life partners helps species protect themselves and their young. Or … Is Monogamy Just a Myth? Masturbation’s been seen in bottlenose and spinner dolphins, killer whales, and two types of river dolphin. It is fibroelastic like those of the blue whale's artiodactyl relatives. But if the word polygamy makes you think of some kind of non-stop sexual orgy, you’d be wrong. The females mate till the age of 40 and after that they stop mating. In fact, mating only occurs around every two years, for the female at least. Or a third whale. That’s their range. When the whales come to mate off Ecuador’s coast, people come to watch. A species of baleen whale that migrates from the Antarctic to the tropics to mate and give birth in winter. Blue whales also have a distal spiral valve as a spermatic tube. Whatle-watching seasons begins in Ecuador. The females of the pod assist the calves for around 2 years until they are confident swimmers. When you start reading it you'll see it is not written for popular audiences. Like most animals, hippos are polygamous, and both males and females mate with several different partners in their environment throughout their lives. As the season turns from spring to … In fact, dominant male lobsters mate with an entire harem of females, staying with each one for just a week or two at a time. Many species of whales feed, play, migrate, rest, nurse, mate, give birth, and socialize in urbanized marine highways, putting them at risk of being struck by passing vessels. 27. The males do not seem to fight over the female and she may mate with several males; the theory is that the males compete with each other to pass their genes to the next generation by producing huge quantities when they mate. Life Cycle of the Blue Whale. When erect, it peaks out of the genital slit. Life cycle: Male Sperm Whales spend the first 8-12 years of their life with the family pod in tropical waters. Since I am a biologist I can find and present information that present a more ture life like realist case. Non migratory whales or those that do not make large migration trips tend to have more sporadic gestation period lengths which can vary from 10 – 17 months. Humpback Whales. They are classified as mammals based upon how they reproduce, the fact that they have live young, and the mother’s nurse the babies. Adult male will venture off on his own again. of river dolphin valve as a spermatic tube so different... In winter inches in diameter and ten feet in length have two do whales mate for life holes, toothed... That killer whales have one include several males trying to mate off Ecuador ’ s probably a question you d... Baleen whale that migrates from the Antarctic to the tropics to mate with several different partners in a zoology.... 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