What are baby whales called

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A baby whale is a calf, his mother is a cow and his father is a bull, and together, the family is a pod. Baby whales grow in the mother’s uterus from 10 to 18 months, depending on the species. A calf receives nutrients in utero through an umbilical cord.

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A list of the average gestation periods of several whale species
How Are Baby Whales Born?
What Food Does Baby Whale Eat?
How Much Weight Baby Whales Gain Daily
Can Baby Whales Consume Breast Milk Underwater?
Can A Female Whale Feed Another Baby Whale?
How Long Does A Baby Whale Take To Reach Maturity?
How Long Does A Whale Hold Its Breath Underwater?

Twin births are rare among whales, and a calf is delivered tail-first to avoid drowning. A baby whale, much like a human baby, nurses milk from his mother’s nipples for several months. A calf reaches sexual maturity between 5 and 15 years, depending on the species. Whales have two seasons: mating and feeding.

The average amount of time it takes for a female whale to have a baby varies depending on its species.

A whales pregnancy cycle can last anywhere from 10 months all the way up to 18 months and on average a female whale will bare a single offspring once every 1 – 6 years while she is fertile.

In rare cases a female whale may bare twins, but this is very uncommon and rarely seen among the whale population.

During the gestation period the baby whale develops and grows in the mothers uterus and is fed nutrients and blood through an umbilical cord.

Upon birth the baby whale is usually delivered tail first in order to prevent the possibility of drowning, although in some situations a whale may also be delivered head first.

For the first several months after birth the baby whale feeds by suckling milk from their mothers nipple.

Depending on the species and their psychological dependency on their mother some whales may be seen suckling for as long as 24 months, and in some cases the baby may continue to suckle even after the mother is no longer lactating.

While the average age of maturity varies from species to species most whales will mature between the ages of 5 – 15 at which point they can then begin mating and bearing offspring of their own.

In a pod or family the baby whale is known as a calf, the female whale is known as cow and the male is referred to as the bull.

In terms of mating periods many species of whale have two primary seasons known as mating season and feeding season.

During mating season various species of whale can be seen traveling towards the equator to take advantage of the warmer climates and begin mating and/or baring offspring.

While this period varies from species to species and depending on the climate they live in mating season typically occurs during the colder winter months of the year when the waters begin to freeze over and their food supply begins to migrate away and move towards warmer climates.

Once mating season ends the various species of whale travel back to their feeding grounds and begin stocking up on food until the next mating season comes around.

While mating season and migration cycles are important to many species of whale not all species are known to migrate during the colder months.

Some species such as the bowhead whale are known to live in the same arctic/sub arctic waters throughout the year and may only make small migration trips from time to time.

A list of the average gestation periods of several whale species

Minke whales have an estimated gestation period of 10 months with females baring a single offspring every 2 years or so.
Narwhal whales are believed to take an average of 14 – 15 months between pregnancy and birth with an estimated average of 1 offspring every 3 years while fertile.
Sperm whales are estimated to have a 14 – 16 month gestation period and females whales give birth every 3 – 6 years.
Gray whales are assumed to have a pregnancy period 13.5 months (data not available on birth frequency)
humpback whale have an 11 – 12 month pregnancy range and reproduction occurs every 2 – 3 years after sexual maturity is reached.
Beluga whales are estimated to have a pregnancy period of 14 – 15 months and female whales give birth every 3 years or so.
Blue whales give birth after 11 – 12 months of pregnancy and it is estimated that female whales give birth every 2 – 3 years.
killer whale have a pregnancy period of 15 – 18 months, however it is believed that the average pregnancy period is about 17 months. (Females killer whales give birth every 3 – 5 years).

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Do you know that the Antarctic blue whale is the largest sea mammal on the planet? This remarkable creature weighs approximately 400,000 pounds, which is equivalent to 28 adult male elephants. And it reaches 100 feet in length.

In addition, whales are warm-blooded, just like humans. And interestingly, they look after their young ones for a considerable period. They breastfeed and protect their young babies from predators. Whales also deliver via live birth.

You’ll learn many interesting facts about whales in this post. But first, let’s provide the answer to the question below.

What is a baby whale called?

A baby whale is known as a calf. The mature female whale is called a cow, while the adult male is sometimes called a bull.

Female whales boast one of the longest reproductive cycles of any aquatic animal on the planet. These giant creatures also give birth every one to six years.

That is why it’s a priority for females to have multiple mating partners to increase their chances of getting pregnant. And they may display this behavior during the mating season.

Whales’ mating season depends on the species, including where they live. But it usually occurs during the fall and winter periods, which are cold. Both kinds of weather forces whales to move near the equator and benefit from the warmer tropical climate.

So that’s what baby whales are called. Let’s go deeper to reveal more facts.

How Are Baby Whales Born?

Whale’s gestation period is usually between 9 to 16 months, but it also varies from one species to another.

Additionally, it’s prevalent for whales to give birth to their babies while migrating. When it’s time for whales to give birth, they tend to migrate from a colder into a more temperate environment to boost their babies’ chances of survival upon delivery.

How do whales give birth? Since whales are mammals, they carry their young in the womb for months and have live births.

During birth, the calves’ fins are the first part that pops up. After that, other parts of the body follow suit. But there have been cases where the calf’s head first emerged during birth, though it’s rare.

Baby whales are also large. They measure 1/4 of their mother’s size. Nonetheless, the blue whale calves are a bit larger than the grey whale calves.

A Handy Tip: Whale breathes in natural air, despite being an aquatic animal. Additionally, after birth, whales tend to nudge their babies to the water surface, a move that allows the calves to have a taste of their first natural air.

What Food Does Baby Whale Eat?

Whale calves feed like babies birthed by humans. They consume breast milk for a considerable period. Despite being a bit large, calves can’t eat solid foods upon birth. They depend on their mother’s breast milk for quite a while.

Baby whales depend on their mother’s breast milk from 6months to 2 years. Some may stay for more than 2 years. It all depends on the whale species and other factors that come into play.

It is also essential to know that some whale calves that have started eating solid foods may want to continue consuming breast milk. And what encourages this is that female whales (cows) form strong bonds with their calves. The bond can last anywhere between a few years to a lifetime.

So, breast milk is the sole food of whale calves upon birth. And they’re known to consume a large amount of milk every day. Whales’ breast milk also boasts the right combination of nutrients, which helps calves to increase in size much faster.

How Much Weight Baby Whales Gain Daily

The first thing we need to focus on is the volume of milk whale cows can produce daily. It’s also crucial to note that this varies from one whale species to another.

Now, how many gallons of milk can the blue whale produce daily? The blue whale isn’t only the biggest aquatic mammal. It also generates a large volume of breast milk daily.

A nursing blue whale can produce milk worth over 50 gallons daily. And what’s more, their breast milk contains 35 to 50 percent of the required milk fat that helps the baby whales to gain approximately 10 pounds of weight every hour.

So, daily, a calf might gain up to 250 pounds. This explains why baby whales grow super fast.

A Handy Tip: Baby whales usually appear well-developed and can swim upon birth. They only depend on their mothers for protection and food.

Can Baby Whales Consume Breast Milk Underwater?

How whales manage to breastfeed their calves underwater is one of the wonders of the world. Breast milk isn’t a solid food. It’s liquid; thus, it should be difficult for the calves to get enough of it underwater.

But that isn’t the case. Whales have evolved massively. They have developed features that allow them to feed their calves underwater.

So, how do baby whales consume breast milk underwater? Well, shockingly, female whales boast nipples. They boast inverted nipples buried inside their mammary slits.

Calves are intelligent creatures and know how to get the milk from their mother’s inverted nipples. When they’re ready to suckle their mothers, calves go underneath the cows and nudge their mammary slits, an action that makes the nipples visible.

Once the nipples become visible, they can start sucking the breast milk and can consume a considerable amount of milk at a go.

A Handy Tip: Whales aren’t just sea mammals. They also boast the features that mammals possess. The whale cows have mammary glands, which are essential for milk production.

Can A Female Whale Feed Another Baby Whale?

You need to know that female whales share unique social and emotional relationships with their babies (calves). They form a strong bond with their calves, which could last for a lifetime.

But it’s not common to find whales feeding calves belonging to another whale or perhaps, a blue whale feeding the calves of a grey whale.

However, there are family groups of whales that are close. They can even take care of calves belonging to another whale. In these species or family groups, the female whales can feed the calves of other whales.

How Long Does A Baby Whale Take To Reach Maturity?

Scientists haven’t discovered much about whales’ behavior from birth to when they become sexually mature. It’s also important to know that how long it takes to reach sexual maturity varies from one whale species to another.

Blue whales can reach sexual maturity at 6 to 10 years of age. You can also identify a sexually mature blue whale via its length. That is when the males get to 23 meters in length, while the females are 24 meters.

For the humpback whales, things are a bit different. These species of whale reach sexual maturity at 5 to 14 years.

For grey whales, sexual maturity is attained between 6 to 12 years. But on average, some reach sexual maturity within 8 to 9 years.

How Long Does A Whale Hold Its Breath Underwater?

Whales have developed a unique ability, which enables them to hold their breath for a considerable period. Furthermore, how long whales can hold their breath differs from one whale species to another.

The killer whales don’t hold their breath for long. They can only do so for around 15 minutes before resurfacing to breathe in and breathe out via their blowholes.

The sperm whales can hold their breath for a more extended period. Why? They have to travel approximately a thousand meters down below in search of giant squid, which happens to be a delicacy for them. Thus, they can hold their breath for about 90 minutes.

The cuvier beaked whale, also known as the goose-beaked whale, has held their breath longer than any other whale. The report shows that the whales can hold their breath for approximately 137 minutes.

The humpback whales can hold their breath for a maximum of 60 minutes (an hour).

The blue whales can hold their breath for about 90 minutes before resurfacing to breathe in some fresh air.

Adult grey whales can remain submerged in water and hold their breath for approximately 20 to 30 minutes.

Conclusion

So, what is a baby whale called? It’s called a calf. The female whales, cows deliver via live birth. They carry the baby whale (calf) in their womb and give birth after months.

Additionally, whales can give birth to just one offspring in the space of one to six years. So, these are some of the information about whales we would like you to know. They show how unique and diverse each whale species can be.