They have lungs instead of gills, hair instead of scales, and they give birth live. They breathe through a blowhole located on the top of their head, and they hear through holes behind their eyes. There are about 80 kinds of whales living in oceans around the world. Whales can grow to over 100 ft. long, and they can weigh over 200 tons.
Whales live in family groups called pods.
They communicate by making high pitched sounds. Some can be done in one session, and others might be completed over several sessions. Suggested grade levels are indicated in parentheses. Biologists and oceanographers can learn more about how the environment affects animal behavior, and they can study environmental change by watching the effects those changes have on whale movements. Whales migrate, or travel from one place to another, to find food, to breed, and to give birth to their young.