Whales are a varied species of totally aquatic placental marine mammals with a wide distribution.
They are a loose classification within the Cetacea infraorder. which normally excludes dolphins and porpoises.
The order Cetartiodactyla, which includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises, comprises even-toed ungulates.
However, whales were once hunted mercilessly for their goods, but are now protected by international law.
The North Atlantic right whale population dropped to 450 in the twentieth century.
While the North Pacific gray, they listed whale population as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.
Bycatch and maritime pollution also threatened them, besides whalers. Arctic indigenous peoples have traditionally used whale flesh, blubber, and baleen.
We have depicted whales in a variety of civilizations around the world. Most notably by the Inuit and coastal peoples of Vietnam and Ghana, who hold whale funerals occasionally.
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Do Whales Die of Old Age?
Whales do, in fact, die of old age.
Whales live for much longer periods of time than most mammals, yet each species lives for a varied amount of time.
Some of them can even live longer than humans. Narwhals, despite their mythological appearance, are very real.
These little whales have a life expectancy of 40 to 60 years.
Approximately the same amount of time is spent by the adorable beluga whale.
Minke whales are the smallest whales in the world. They only survive for 30 to 50 years, which is a relatively limited lifespan for a whale.
The gray whale has a much longer life span, ranging from 50 to 70 years.
Blue whales live for 70 to 90 years, while sperm whales live for 60 to 80 years.
Fin whales can live anywhere from 60 to 100 years, while humpback whales can live anywhere from 40 to 100 years.
The bowhead whale has the longest recorded longevity of any whale. They live for at least a century, but up to two centuries.
That’s between 100 and 200 years!
Due to their size, location, and habits, whales can be challenging to study.
It can be tough for a whale to die of old age in the untamed seas of the ocean, where predators lurk and pollution kills even more whales.
It’s tough to keep whales secure long enough for them to live out their full potential lifespan because there isn’t a humane way to accomplish it.
Whales may be safer in aquariums and zoos, but they require a massive swimming space.
Learn More about What Happens When Whales Die?
Not every whale that perishes ends up in the sea. A massive quantity of whale carcasses will be stranded along all the world’s shores.
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