Whales

Whales are the biggest animals on the planet, even bigger than elephants! 1
The blue whale is the largest animal in the world. It’s about 94 feet long. That’s as long as a basketball court! 2
Whales live in all the oceans on the planet.
They can live in both warm and cold water.
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Whales are mammals just like cows or tigers or people.
Whales give birth to live babies and feed their babies milk. 4
Different whales eat different things. Sperm whales eat giant squid and fish. Blue whales eat little shrimplike things called krill. 5
Whales can swim underwater for a long time but they must come up to the top to breathe air. They have blowholes on the top of their heads to help them breathe. 6
Whales sing songs to talk to one another, but they don’t use their mouths. They only make sounds with their blowholes. 7
Whales often jump out of the water. No one knows why they do this, but some people think it is a way of talking to each other. 10
Whales don’t have fins like fish do. They have flippers and a strong tail that help them swim long distances. 8
When winter comes, whales travel to where the water is warmer. They swim in big groups and can travel up to 3,000 miles. 9
Don’t be fooled by the killer whale! The name might trick you to think it’s a whale, but killer whales are a kind of dolphin. 11
It’s an amazing thing to see a whale. But I don’t think I’d want to get this close! 12
