Baleen Whale

Quick Take

• Their scientific name traces back to a bizarre phrase involving a rodent. Guess which one.
• A rare fossil upends the tidy story of how these giants got their filter-feeding gear.
• The spout above a whale's head isn't what you think it is.
• For a species this huge, one basic fact about its life still stumps researchers.

Baleen whales have survived many threats from humans over the years, which is why conservation efforts have been so important.

They can be quite large, weighing anywhere from a few thousand pounds to well over 300,000 pounds. Spread amongst more than a dozen species, it is hard to find an area of the ocean that they won’t inhabit at some point.

With the right human dedication, these whales’ population could rise back to what it was before whaling.

4 Incredible Baleen Whale Facts

• A major part of the anatomy of this whale is their blubber, keeping them warm through any ocean climate.
• Though the baleen whale is huge, their anatomy is not large enough to swallow a human.
• Despite many known facts about each species, researchers are still unsure about the overall lifespan of these whales.
• Female whales often do not survive if they give birth to twins.

Evolution and Origins

According to a rare fossil, it’s believed that ancient whales initially transitioned from having teeth to suctioning up their food like some fish do, before evolving baleen, which contradicts previous research suggesting a slow and seamless transition from teeth to baleen.

Baleen, consisting of numerous keratin plates growing from the upper jaw of toothless whales, functions as a food-filtering apparatus by lining up like Venetian blinds and filtering food from the sea.

One of the most remarkable evolutionary changes in the history of life is the development of baleen, which is comparable to the evolution of feathers in dinosaurs; baleen refers to rows of pliant, hair-like plates that marine mammals like blue whales and humpbacks utilize to sift small prey from large amounts of seawater.

Classification and Scientific Name

The baleen whale, which is also known as a whalebone whale or mysticetes, is primarily known by the scientific name “Mysticeti.”

The species are broken down into three extant families, which include:

• Balaenidae family, which includes right whales.
• Balaenopteridae family, which includes rorquals and gray whales.
• Cetotheriidae family, which includes pygmy right whales.

The name “Mysticeti” comes from the Greek word “mustikētos.” It is representative of a phrase that says, “ho mus to kētos,” which translates to “the mouse, the whale so-called.”

Different Types

Here are the different types of Baleen Whales:

• Balaenoptera musculus, the Blue Whale
• Balaenoptera physalus, the Fin Whale
• Balaenoptera borealis, the Sei Whale
• Balaenoptera edeni, Bryde’s Whale
• Balaenoptera omurai, Omura’s Whale
• Megaptera novaeangliae, the Humpback Whale
• Eschrichtius robustus, the Gray Whale

Appearance

Though there are more than a dozen different species to speak of, the majority of these whales are either black or gray, though variations like the blue whale have more of a blue-gray skin color.

Often, this mammal family features countershading, which gives the top of the whale a darker shade than the bottom to keep them concealed, though their belly is often lighter. Each breed is a little different, as some feature black fins while others have asymmetrical markings. They may also be impacted by parasites, barnacles, and algae.

The pectoral flippers allow the whales to swim and steer their body, though they may equal up to one-third of the whale’s total length. Though many species have dorsal fins, there are at least three species with none at all. The skin is no more than 0.3 inches thick, and the lack of hair helps them to swim.

The most noticeable feature of the baleen whale is its “teeth,” which are actually keratin-based plates that extend from the upper jaw’s gums. The teeth are called baleen, and they grow in rows. They may be white, black, or any color in between, which is determined by the species.

These “teeth” are smooth on the outer edge, but the frayed inner edge creates the mat needed to catch food. They allow the whale to trap food and filter out the water. Baleen is not the same as having a set of teeth, even though they develop tooth buds while growing within the mother.

Baleen whales can range from 20 feet to 102 feet long, and they can grow to 210 short tons (which is heavier than a house). Their body has a thick layer of fat called blubber. This blubber is necessary to maintain their warmth while in the water since they are warm-blooded. Blubber is common among whales with teeth as well.

Behavior

Researchers are constantly learning about the behavior of baleen whales.

They tend to be solitary creatures, which is directly contradictory to the nature of whales with teeth (which tend to travel in pods). Some people believe that this whale family is somewhat of a vigilante for other species, as they will protect other marine life from attacks.

Though they are not outgoing and friendly towards others, they are not naturally aggressive.

Habitat

The baleen whale is found around the world, and their blubber makes it possible for them to live in tropical zones as easily as they live in polar regions.

Some species, like the southern right whales, are only found in the southern hemisphere. Bowhead whales prefer to stay around the Arctic region.

These whales are migratory, and they prefer colder regions in the summer and spring, followed by tropical areas when the weather becomes colder.

They migrate every year, though the gray whale travels the furthest — 14,000 miles! Researchers believe that the whales primarily venture to wherever plankton is, reserving the tropical areas for calving grounds.

Predators and Threats

The carnivorous nature of these whales allows them to eat quite a large diet. Using their baleen, they filter out water from their food, skimming along the surface as water and food collect in it.

As they close their mouth, the water drains, and they consume food like fish and zooplankton. The total amount of food they need daily will vary, but it can take several tons of food a day to fill up a blue whale alone.

The main environmental threats to the baleen whale come from the humans who continue to practice whaling. Their blubber allows them to live anywhere, and some species have a lifespan of over 100 years.

What eats Baleen Whales?

The biggest threat to these whales is humans. However, orcas (or killer whales) are the main predators in the waters. Though it can take quite a group to overtake them, the solitary nature of these species gives them a great disadvantage.

What does the Baleen Whale eat?

This whale’s baleen allows them to eat many types of animals, including fish, zooplankton, phytoplankton, and krill. If this whale can catch it, it’ll eat it. They reside fairly low on the overall food chain, despite their great size.

Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan

Between ages five and ten, these whales will be sexually mature enough to breed. During mating and conception, the female travels to tropical waters before giving birth. With a gestation period of ten months, her calf is unable to withstand the colder waters.

The blubber doesn’t develop until after they are born. They ordinarily give birth to just one calf. Twins do not often survive. They only give birth every two to four years, though minke whales can become pregnant immediately after birth. Whales do not mate for life.

The babies, known as calves, will stay with their mothers until they wean at about six to eleven months old. During the first year, they grow quickly, consuming milk from their mother. The mother can produce over 200 liters a day to nurture their babies.

The total lifespan varies from one species to the next. Researchers have not been able to pinpoint the total lifespan. However, blue whales have been known to reach up to 90 years, while others can exceed 100 years.

Population

Including all of the different species, there are over 1.1 million whales that fall under this family around the world. Current estimates state that there are currently:

• 10,000 to 25,000 blue whales
• 8,200 bowhead whales
• 66,000 to 86,000 Bryde’s whales
• 123,000 fin whales
• 18,000 gray whales in the eastern Pacific region (only 100 to 200 in the western Pacific region)
• 135,000 humpback whales
• 850,000 minke whales
• 870 to 7,700 northern right whales
• 55,000 sei whales
• 13,600 southern right whales

Due to many factors, the gray whale of the Atlantic Ocean is extinct.

Their numbers have declined due to whaling, but conservation efforts are helping to bring them back up. Many protests have taken place through the years to protect them from additional poaching efforts. When kept in captivity, the whales tend to live a shorter lifespan without the freedom to migrate.