Question 1

What is the largest whale?

Accepted Answer

The blue whale is the largest animal known to have ever lived, reaching up to about 30 metres long and 180–200 tonnes — heavier than the largest dinosaurs.

Question 2

Which whale dives the deepest?

Accepted Answer

Cuvier's beaked whale holds the record for the deepest and longest dives of any mammal, recorded to nearly 3,000 metres and for over three hours on a single breath. Sperm whales routinely hunt at 1,000–2,000 metres.

Question 3

Are whales fish?

Accepted Answer

No. Whales are mammals: they are warm-blooded, breathe air through lungs, give birth to live young and nurse them with milk. They belong to the group Cetacea alongside dolphins and porpoises.

Question 4

What is the difference between baleen and toothed whales?

Accepted Answer

Baleen whales (such as blue and humpback whales) filter tiny prey like krill through comb-like plates of baleen. Toothed whales (such as sperm whales and orcas) have teeth and hunt fish, squid and other prey, and use echolocation to find them.