How do whales have babies

I thought whales lived in the ocean all the time and had to breathe -- what happens to the babies? The babies have to learn to swim the minute they are born so they can get to the surface of the water and take their first big breath.

Most of it make it though. Killer whales, who travel in groups called pods, actually help each other with the birthing process. Baby whales calves are born underwater tail first. The newborn quickly goes to the surface to get air and the mothers are very protective of their babies. The calves nurse underwater but close to the surface. And male whales cannot have babies. Whales are born pretty much like all mammals are, except that they are born underwater and their mothers have to help them to the surface for their first breaths.

Whales are descended from land mammals, so they need to breathe air. Theres a nice webquest about their history at this site:. Only females can have babies. Although an actual humpback birth has never been recorded, there is evidence suggesting that humpback whales give birth during their migration to warmer waters from colder regions, similar to other species.

Despite our limited knowledge of humpback whales, it is obvious that the mother and calf have a very close relationship. Whale calves are always close to their mothers and significantly rely on them for food and constant protection. How Long is the Average Lifespan of a Whale?

May 15, Do All Whales Have Teeth? June 18, Whale Sexual Maturity Even though whales live a long time on average, between 30 to 70 years! Caring for Calf The mortality rate for calves is extremely high during the first year of its life, so mother whales make sure to keep a very close and protective eye over them especially after they are born.

A Scientific Enigma: The Birth of Humpback Whales Despite the countless whale watching trips around the country and researchers involved in studying whale behavior and activity, the birth of a humpback whale has surprisingly never been seen before. Buy Tickets. Bottlenose dolphin pregnancies are somewhere in the middle lasting about 12 months, a little longer than human pregnancies which last 9 months.

Dolphins give birth to a single baby; the baby is usually born tail first unlike most mammals to minimise the risk of drowning. The birth can take a couple of hours. The newborn dolphin is fully dependent on his or her mother and suckles thick paste-like milk from her nipples until he or she is able to catch fish. Bottlenose dolphins living in Sarasota, Florida first give birth when they are years old, but most often they are about 8 years old.

Dolphins virtually never have twins; they give birth to one baby at a time every 1 to 6 years depending on the species and individuals. The average time between babies for bottlenose dolphin mothers is 2 to 3 years. The fish-eating resident orcas only have babies every five years or more. Yes, all dolphins are born with belly buttons. Unlike humans, dolphins have smooth belly buttons, so their bodies are streamlined.