How Do Whales Breathe?
HOW DO WHALES BREATHE?
Because whales live in the ocean, many people think they are fish. But do you know that whales and dolphins are not fish? They are mammals. People are mammals too. Mammals are the group of animals that breath air using lungs, give birth to live young (rather than laying eggs), and feed their young with mother’s milk. All animals, including people, need oxygen, a chemical found in the air and in water. Fish use their gills to take oxygen from the water that they live in. But people get the oxygen we need by breathing air, using our lungs. Whales and dolphins use their lungs to breathe air also.
That’s one reasons why they come to the surface of the ocean. Sometimes they lie right at the surface of the water, with just a part of their back sticking out. Look closely at a picture of a whale or dolphin; can you see a nose on the whale? You can’t, because whales don’t have noses like you and me. Instead they have a hole – called a “blow hole” – on top of their heads. Sometimes when a whale breathes air out of its blow hole, it shows up as a spray or mist – called a “spout” – that can be seen many miles away. Blow holes are surrounded by muscles that keep the hole closed when the whale or dolphin is under water and open it when the animal is at the surface and needs to breathe.
In fact, some of the animals have two blow holes next to each other and others have only one. So when you see a picture of a whale, see if you can tell the difference. Pilot whales and dolphins have one blow hole; humpbacks, minkes and right whales have two.
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Yes – like our nostrils, they use both blowholes to breathe out then both to breathe in. Only baleen whales (mysticetes) like Humpbacks and Blues have two blowholes. Toothed whales (odontocetes) like dolphins and porpoises have one.
Whales that have 2 blow holes: do they breather out and in through both?
Glad this helps, Nicole! I’m looking forward to seeing the movie. It’s based on a true story!
Hi Mark.
Thanks for your question! Whales exhale then inhale when they surface. They are very efficient breathers and exchange up to 90% of the air in their lungs at every surfacing. They will frequently surface and breath several times in a row, than go on a deeper dive.
Kathy
I am glad I found this. Sadly, I was confused by the new movie coming out about whales trapped below the ice. I couldn’t understand how Ice on the surface of the water would effect them. now I understand! thanks!
If a whale blows out when it surfaces, when does it inhale?