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.
If a whale blows out when it surfaces, when does it inhale?
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!
Glad this helps, Nicole! I’m looking forward to seeing the movie. It’s based on a true story!
Whales that have 2 blow holes: do they breather out and in through both?
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.
How do whales breathe?…
Shorter answer: Whales have lungs and the blow hole on top allows air in, and out, like a nostril. Some whales have two blow holes. The hole on top can be closed voluntarily so that the whale doesn’t inhale water. > Longer answer (quoted from the Nati…
Thanks. I need these facts to answer my 5 year old son’s questions. Great to have found this.
Thx.
Thanks i needed it for my homework
Thanks needed it for a project
Not all mammals give birth to live young. The monotremes are a group of egg laying mammals that include the spiny ant eater and the platypus.
If when the whale goes to breathe IN after expelling 90% of the air in it’s lungs, and a wave comes when it is inhaling, would the water go in the blowhole and lungs and the whale drown?
Thanks for your question! Whale’s have a very forceful exhalation that clears away any water – hence the “spout” or “blow” seen. Their inhalation is very very fast so waves don’t even have a chance to get into the blowhole. Further, the volume of a whale’s lungs is quite large, so even if a little water from a wave got into the blowhole it wouldn’t cause more than mild discomfort. Sometimes whales and dolphins “chuff”, which is a coughing-like exhalation from their blowhole, and it is thought that one purpose of “chuffing” may be to rid their lungs of water. It’s kind of like when a human swallows wrong and a small amount of liquid goes into our lungs. We cough, but most of the time we’re ok.
Thanks…. good information
Thanks Kathy, I had an argument with the teacher of mu student who said whales were fish and breathed through their GILLS. I showwed her your detailed comment. That settled the issue and my student got her full credits.
To Avinash: I’m glad this was helpful! And thank YOU for helping to spread correct information!
how do whales use there blow wholes?it is hard for me to answer that one question.i am doing it for a project and i just need that one thing.
To Savannah: A whale’s blowholes are like nostrils. However, whales are voluntary breathers and must consciously open and close their blowholes in order to breath. When the whale surfaces, it opens its blowhole and breathes out, then inhales. It is the forceful exhalation of air that vaporizes any residual water on top of the whale’s head and creates the spout. Hope this helps!
what is the order of a dolphins’ respiration? my daughter has a research project on a dophins respiratory system
Hi there. A dolphin exhales then inhales. Dolphins are very efficient breathers and exchange approximately 90% of the air in their lungs with each breath. This compares with humans who exchange approximately 20% of the air in our lungs when we breathe. Thansk for your question!
Hi there this is so much information did not know were to star so cool to have dolphins in the world thanks I learnt heap on dolphins and whales too i hope we can save some because I got told that there are not much dolphins and whales
thanks bcoz i understood how whales breathe
[…] like humans do, and instead of breathing through their mouths they have what is called a “blow hole.” They come to the surface and take in and expel air from this blow hole, often with an […]
[…] like humans do, and instead of breathing through their mouths they have what is called a “blow hole.” They come to the surface and take in and expel air from this blow hole, often with an […]
[…] possible they engage in a process that’s similar to dolphins who, like whales, are “voluntary breathers .” Dolphins sleep by shutting down one half of their brain at a time. During these periods, […]
[…] possible they engage in a process that’s similar to dolphins who, like whales, are “voluntary breathers.” Dolphins sleep by shutting down one half of their brain at a time. During these periods, […]
[…] possible they engage in a process that’s similar to dolphins who, like whales, are “voluntary breathers.” Dolphins sleep by shutting down one half of their brain at a time. During these periods, […]
[…] possible they engage in a process that’s similar to dolphins who, like whales, are “voluntary breathers.” Dolphins sleep by shutting down one half of their brain at a time. During these periods, […]
[…] possible they engage in a process that’s similar to dolphins who, like whales, are “voluntary breathers.” Dolphins sleep by shutting down one half of their brain at a time. During these periods, […]
[…] haven't whales evolved gills? Because they are mammals and they breath in a different way. https://ezidesignconcept.com/2009/04/how-do-whales-breathe/ But with the terseness of you inquiry I don't really expect this thread to last long. Hope […]
Thanks Kathy ! It is amazing.”They are mammals.” I see ưhales on TV. But until now i know how to whales breathe.
Thanks for sharing
I dont know that some animals have two blow holes. Awersome
How they feed they are children? With they are milk
Hello,every one. Whales have to come to the the surface for breathing, but when they are inside the water and they need food they usually open their mouth and everything around it goes into his mouth as well as millon liters of water wher does this water go??
Thanks for your question. Whales use their tongues to push out the water through their baleen, leaving the fish and krill behind. They can then swallow the food without swallowing very much water. Additionally, they do not breathe through their mouths so they are not in danger of choking from any water that they may swallow.
If a dolphin had something caught in its blowhole, would a version of cpr work? I am thinking of a young calf, tangled in a net and drowning. Once the net is cleared, if the calf has water or other debris lodged in its blow hole does modified cpr work? What else?
Hi Sue.
Thanks for your comment. Because of the structure of a dolphin’s blubber and rib cage, especially in relation to its blowhole, it would be difficult to perform CPR. If a dolphin had something in it’s blowhole, an experienced marine animal veterinarian and a laproscope may be necessary.
Thanks for your question!
Kathy
Hi, when whales shore and get stuck, they eventually die. What would be the reason for that? Lack of food or lack of water or some other reason as well?
Hi Ravi.
Although whales and dolphins are mammals and can breath out of water, their physiology is adapted to an aquatic environment. Out of water, they are vulnerable to the elements. They can get skin damage including sunburn! The stress of being in such a vulnerable condition can cause heart damage. And, over time, their weight in air can crush their internal organs. It’s important to get experienced stranding network personnel involved as soon as possible.
Thanks for your question!
Kathy
That is really useful tips for my project. Thank you for sharing!
Happy to help!
Can we as humans improve our breathing by exhaling more completely like the whale? Would that help us build our lung capacity, or simply make better use of the capacity we have?
That’s an interesting question, Hayley. I don’t know! There are some people such as free divers who have learned to increase the efficiency of their breathing. Many athletes are able to breath very efficiently. While I don’t think we can (or should) seek the air exchange capacity of a whale – because it’s simply not necessary – taking care of our lungs by exercising and not smoking is always a good idea! Thanks for your question.
How can whales store so much Carbon di Oxide in their body? Where does it go?
I didn’t know whales couldn’t breathe like normal fishes. Thanks for sharing this amazing insight
Whales are actually mammals, just like people. They are warm blooded, breath air, and give live birth. I’m glad you found this information useful!
What evolutionary purpose does voluntary breathing serve for whales and dolphins?
Hi Angie. Voluntary breathing allows whales and dolphins to more easily hold their breath when underwater. They spend a good portion of their lives underwater, so this way they don’t have to think about or expend energy holding their breath since their body does it automatically. Thanks for your question!
Whales don’t sleep; they only rest half their brain at a time so they keep going to the surface and breathing. What type of adaptation is this, physical or behavioral? Please tell me quickly. Thanks!
Hi Astaria.
Some whales rest half their brain at a time. Another strategy scientists have found is that sometimes whales will take short naps between breaths. I would suggest this is both a physical and behavioral adaptation. Thanks for your question!
Hi Kathy, thanks for the informative post. Given how huge whales are, how long do you suppose they have to stay on the surface of the water to take in enough oxygen to survive under water?
Hi Rose.
Despite their large size, a whale can exhale and inhale in less than a few seconds! And, they exchange 90% of the air in their lungs when they do so! Often when they are diving more deeply, they will surface and breathe several times over the course of a few minutes before going under again for a longer dive. Thanks for your Question!
Im confused on the whole “whales rest half their brain at a time” can you explain to me how they do that?
Hi Joey.
Here’s a great article from Scientific American that explains this “half sleep” better than I ever could! https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-do-whales-and-dolphin/
Thanks for your question!
Kathy
Thank you for the interesting article and replies, Kathy.
What does the 90% whales / 20% humans oxygen exchange mean?
If you talk about the lung size when breathing out, a human would have about 80% (~20% residual capacity).
Thank you!
Hi Daniel.
When a whale exhales then inhales, it exchanges about 90% of the oxygen in its lungs for fresh oxygen. When humans inhale then exhale, we exhange about 20% of the oxygen in our lungs for fresh oxygen.
Here’s a great post from Whale and Dolphin Conservation that explains more about whales vs humans’ gas exchange during breathing, and also compares how whales and humans store oxygen.
http://us.whales.org/blog/2012/10/how-do-whales-breathe
Thanks for your question!
Why whales come water surface time to time . What is the reason behind it
Whales are mammals and must breathe air. They come to the surface to breathe. Thanks for your question!
Even though dolphins have a single blowhole, do they have a right and left nostril or only one nostril? I’ve found conflicting information on this. Thanks
Thanks for your question, Joy. The dolphin’s only “nostril” is the single blowhole at the top of their head. Baleen whales have two blowholes.
hello ,
i have a question relates that concerns the anatomy of the respiratory system of the whales …
Do the Whales have Pleura surrounding the lungs ?
thank u
Hi Philip.
Yes, whales have pleura. Thanks for your question!
Kathy
Thanks for very good information
I was of the view that only Dolphin breathe
Thnks this information
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 reason why they come to the surface of the ocean
I thoughts whales had blowholes because they descended from land walking quadrupeds. Fish broke off from their ancestry and developed gills way before the whale ever existed. Perhaps, in time, whales and other sea mammals would develop a completely different breathing apparatus from gills or blowholes.
As we know mammals cannot breath under water and whales and dolphins are also mammals then how they can breath inside the occean ???
Hi Maria.
Great question! You are correct that whales and dolphins are mammals. As mammals, they breath air through lungs. They have to surface to breath. When you see a whale or dolphin “spout” at the surface, they’re actually breathing. They expel air first then inhale air to fill their lungs before they dive again.
Thanks for your comment.
Kathy
Is Integument the main restiratory organ of whale???
Hi Anwesha.
Like humans and other mammals, lungs are the main respiratory organs of whales and dolphins. Here’s a great post from Whale and Dolphin Conservation that explains more about how whales breath. http://us.whales.org/blog/2012/10/how-do-whales-breathe.
Thanks for your question!
Kathy
Hi Kathy. Do you have any information of the size and capacity of a humpback’s lungs? Do they have a single lung or 2 like humans? While on a whale watching tour, I was told they have a lung the size of a limo, but that seems incorrect compared to pictures I have seen. You mentioned the blue whale had a capacity of 5000 liters, is that close to limo size?
Hi Aaron.
Whales have two lungs, like we do. The total capacity of the blue whale’s lungs is 5,000 liters, or about 1,300 gallons. I must confess, I don’t know much about Limo size! 🙂 However, a brief web search suggests the lungs of the humpback whale are about the size of a compact car. Hope this answers your question!
Kathy
Hi! Your information was really nice. But I just have to ask you one question. Do whales sleep in the water? Or do they not sleep at all?
Hi! Your information was really nice. But I just have to ask you one question. Do whales sleep in the water? Or do they not sleep at all?
[…] fish, which use their gills to get oxygen, whales extract oxygen by breathing air through a single blowhole on top of their heads, and they must always be […]
nice article on whales keep posting on animals
Hi Kathy.can you pls tell me which of these living things require more energy rose or whale.and why?
How do whales breath underwater so a long period of time?
What is the volume of air a whale (hump back) exhales with each breath?
How long does it take for a whale or dolphin to stay under water before emerge again for fresh oxygen?
It varies by species and by activity level. When dolphins and whales are traveling they will often surface more frequently to breath. When they are resting or diving they will hold their breaths longer. Some dolphins normally surface to breath several times per minute, but can hold their breath for 10-20 minutes during long dives. Sperm whales can hold their breath for up to an hour! Thanks for your question.
how do dolphins breath????????????? Help Me Please!!!!
Hi Carly. Dolphins breathe air through their blowhole, at the top of their heads. They have to come to the surface of the water in order to breathe. Thanks for your question!
[…] | National Marine Life Center Fotos | PxHere | Wikimedia Commons – José Eugenio Gómez […]
Dear Kathy,
Some people asked me a really interesting question: what are the final products of the respiration in whales? What are the substances present in their “spout”? It is just water vapor or CO2? Or both?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Agnes. What a great question! Both. The exhalation from the whale’s lungs is CO2. The force of the exhalation through the water the whale is going through as it’s surfacing creates the water vapor. Whales blow out first, then in. Thanks for your question! ~Kathy
While we swim, we exhale with our face in the water.
Does a whale exhale any of the “air” in its lungs while it is underwater or does/must it wait to reach the surface to exhale any of its lungs contents?
Hi D.K.
Whales and dolphins can exhale some of the air from their lungs underwater. They don’t have to do so, but often do for a variety of purposes. Humpback whales, for example, will create “bubble nets” or “bubble clouds” to trap and concentrate schooling fish prior to eating. Dolphins sometimes blow bubbles underwater seemingly just for fun.
So yes, they do! Thanks for your question.
How fast does air come out of a whale’s blowhole?
Is their any immunological effect in whales breathe…??????
People read the comments Nd answers before asking questions that have already been answered, save this poor lady some time.
If a whale blows out when it surfaces, when does it inhale?
Hi there. A whale exhales forcefully then inhales when it surfaces. So it breathes in just before it dives. Thanks for your question!
To be very frank i am one engaged in commercial whale watching and we regularly give live commentary to the travellers i found a lot of interesting information from your article thank you very much
How some marine tetrapods like whales and dolphins can hold their breath for more than one hour?
Can whales breathe in dry and sandy places other than water ?
Hi Khustar.
Whales breathe air. If they strand on a sandy beach or other substrate, they can still breathe because they are breathing air. Thanks for your question!
Kathy
Dolphins are able to hold their breath for several minutes but typically they breathe about 4 or 5 times every minute. But how often they sleep
I have found it useful information especially in this post. Thanks for sharing such type of information.
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Glad you found this helpful!