Whaling has been carried out in the Southern Ocean since the late 1800s. In the early days, the whales were hunted from small boats using hand held harpoons.
Whales breathe through a blowhole on top the their head. This allows a whale to breathe whilst swimming at the surface of the water. The blowhole closes when the whale dives.
It is estimated that no more than 3% of the original number of blue whale exist today.
Complex whales’ songs can be heard for miles under water. The Humpback Whale’s song can last for 30 minutes.
Know as the Right whale because it was the `right’ one to hunt, the Southern Right Whale is slow moving and therefore it was easy to harpoon, and is richly provided with oil so that it floats when dead, highly convenient for the 19th century whaler. By the end of the 19th century the stocks were nearly exhausted, but under protection it is making a slow recovery.
Blue whales must eat around 1.5 million calories each day. This is equivalent to around 4 million krill.
Killer whales and Shortfin pilot whales are the fastest, swimming up to 48 kph.
QUICK FACTS - Whales & Whaling
