They also teach their young how to swim in the warm sheltered waters. The new-born calves have virtually no blubber to insulate them from the cold. This produces spectacular results and whale calves may double their weight within a week. However, there is no food here for the mothers, who must fast while they raise their young. Most births occur in early winter, after which the adults begin their courtship displays of breaching, tail splashing, jostling and caressing.
Calves stay close to their mothers, suckling for a year or less and playing together.
Calves learn skills they need to survive in one of our planet's great wilderness areas, the Ocean. The body is robust and narrows rapidly in front of the huge tail flukes. The area around the blowholes, head and jaws have several large white, grey or yellowish skin callosites. There are numerous hairs on the chin and upper jaw. A long narrow rostrum suspends the baleen plates on each side of the upper jaw.