Page 14 - Whales and Dolphins
P. 14
© H.Al Farsi, 2021 Difference between
Whales and Dolphins,
and Fish:
Although cetaceans (whales and
dolphins) can sometimes be mistaken
for large fish, they are actually mammals
that give birth to young live, nourish them
with their milk, and spend their lives in
water. In a general sense, fish and
cetaceans can look similar but there are
some noticeable physical differences
such as the orientation of their tails. A
fish’s tail is vertical while a cetacean’s tail
is horizontal.
In addition, fish breathe oxygen
contained in water through their gills,
whilst whales have lungs, not gills, and
must surface to breathe air. Moreover,
whales are warm-blooded species that
can maintain a stable body temperature
regardless of their surrounding
environment.
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