Whales

Whales are so large, they weigh up to 200 tons, or 33 elephants. They are alike to us in a few ways, one being that they are mammals like us and they can nurse their young. Although you might think they have gills and don't breathe oxygen, but they do, just as we do. But they don't eat the same as we do because they have this thing called baleen, or the bristle like teeth they have to eat food. Baleen acts as a strainer to keep the food they caught in their mouth, but letting out the water. Only the Beluga and Sperm whales do in fact have teeth. Many might say that the whale is in no way able to be endangered, but although they are at the top of the food chain, many are being poached and the environment they are in is unhealthy. There are 13 great whale species and 7 are endangered. Some of the threats would be oil and gas development, commercial whaling, and climate change. Oil and gas development is causing whales to have a loss of hearing because of the loud construction and movement. Also it is disturbing their breeding grounds, migratory paths, and feeding areas. More than 1000 whales are killed a year due to many people in the north, like New Zealand, selling them in their markets. Due to the warming seas and loss of the sea ice in the north, it is taking a toll on the whales lives and internal structure, especially to the North Atlantic whale in the north and they aren't reproducing as well. To "adopt" or help raise money for conservation pleas click the link below: http://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions/Blue-Whale.aspx?sc=AWY1302WC922