Whales are not only the largest animals in the world, but also the most mysterious ones. Years and years of research do not mean that we know everything that is there is to know about whales. Here are some interesting and at the same time unbelievable facts that you need to know about these amazing creatures.
Bow Head Whales Survive for More than Two Centuries
Although most bowheads live only up to 60 or even 90 years, scientists cannot seem to agree on a bowhead’s maximum lifespan. But recent research has shown that the amino acids in their eyes suggest that the oldest bowhead that ever lived would have survived around for 211 years. Some even go the extreme of stating that these whales can last longer than that.
Female Humpbacks Have BFFs
Researchers in Mingan Island who have been studying humpback whales for the last 16 years by using a photographic technique have found out that the female humpbacks not only make friends but also reunite with each other annually. Though this behavior has not been encountered any whale watching trips, it is said that these female friends once they meet, float around the waters together. This has known to be an unbelievable discovery since usually humpback whales are unsociable to each other.
Sperm Whales Sleep Standing Up
Since you cannot watch a whale sleep during a whale watching tour, many assumed that whales share a sleeping pattern to those of dolphins. Recent discoveries show that sperm whales sleep keep their bodies completely vertical to the surface when they are sleeping. This was proven when some scientists encountered a whole pod of these whales in Chile, sleeping in the same position.
Whales Support Adoption
Not all whales are violent and scary as Mocha Dick. Most of them are gentle, especially to other species. In 2011, it was noted that a pod of sperm whales adopted a deformed dolphin that was abandoned by its family. But it was not known as why these whales accepted the dolphin in to their family. Also, some female beluga whales that cannot breed are known to adopt objects as their surrogate babies. Though it is a funny sight when you witness these whales carrying planks or even skeletons on their heads or backs while treating them like their calves, it is actually rather a depressing fact.
There are more amusing theories about these whales that many fail to believe. But in time, they too can be proved through science, similar to the ones above.
To find out more about Hervey Bay whale watching tours, go to this link