Whale watching is an important activity in marine tourism. There are various places on earth where this activity is possible. It tends to be seasonal, so you should research where and when to do this. The Channel Islands, Oxnard CA, are one location, and whale watching Channel Islands is a recommended excursion if you are in the vicinity at the right time of the year.
It may not be a familiar fact to laypeople, but whales are also mammals, and not only that, they are the largest mammals in the animal kingdom. They are therefore not fish at all. They breathe through lungs, like other mammals do, and they are warm-blooded. Fish, on the other hand, breathe using gills and are mostly cold-blooded.
The gills of a fish allow water to pass through them continuously as the fish swims. Not having gills, a whale is unable to do this. This is why it frequently surfaces to inhale its next supply of fresh air. It breathes through its blowhole or spout. The latter is positioned on top of its massive head. This is how the trademark spray of seawater is formed when it surfaces or breaches - as it exhales through its spout, seawater is blasted upwards in a visible explosion.
Once exhalation or spouting has taken place, the new air is inhaled. The animal can then breathe again, and it dives below the surface. It can swim at very low depths and can also stay under the surface for exceptionally long periods of time. It must, however, breach at some time to breathe, just as people also cannot stay submerged after the oxygen in their lungs has been depleted.
They have traditionally been subject to a very serious threat, namely hunting. The hunting of these animals, or whaling, was a common economic pursuit in previous times. It has since been banned by most countries. The exception is Japan, which still holds an annual hunt. Although Japan is subject to criticism for this, their official explanation is that they conduct the whaling for research purposes.
Whaling has always used an implement called the harpoon. A harpoon is a spear-shaped metal implement that is directed through the air at its target from the whaling vessel. In ancient times, the harpoon was held in the hand and thrown by the power of the hunter's arm. This would be done by a sailor standing in a smaller vessel positioned strategically next to the whale in the water. It cannot avoid surfacing at regular intervals, so the sailor would remain alert in the hunting boat, waiting for it to do so.
Modern harpoon technology involved explosives or electric shocks, and the harpoons were launched from the whaling ship with great force by a mechanized cannon. The harpoon would either penetrate the whale's body and electrocute it, or its grenade component would explode in the whale's body and mortally injure or kill it.
Of course, whaling had a drastic effect on whale prevalence, and whales became rare. They take a long time to multiply, and in the larger species pregnancy lasts for as long as two years. With the exception of Japan, which refuses to cease hunting its annually pre-determined quota of whales, governments do not approve of this practice any more. As rare as they are now, if you ever get the opportunity to watch whales, you should take it.
It may not be a familiar fact to laypeople, but whales are also mammals, and not only that, they are the largest mammals in the animal kingdom. They are therefore not fish at all. They breathe through lungs, like other mammals do, and they are warm-blooded. Fish, on the other hand, breathe using gills and are mostly cold-blooded.
The gills of a fish allow water to pass through them continuously as the fish swims. Not having gills, a whale is unable to do this. This is why it frequently surfaces to inhale its next supply of fresh air. It breathes through its blowhole or spout. The latter is positioned on top of its massive head. This is how the trademark spray of seawater is formed when it surfaces or breaches - as it exhales through its spout, seawater is blasted upwards in a visible explosion.
Once exhalation or spouting has taken place, the new air is inhaled. The animal can then breathe again, and it dives below the surface. It can swim at very low depths and can also stay under the surface for exceptionally long periods of time. It must, however, breach at some time to breathe, just as people also cannot stay submerged after the oxygen in their lungs has been depleted.
They have traditionally been subject to a very serious threat, namely hunting. The hunting of these animals, or whaling, was a common economic pursuit in previous times. It has since been banned by most countries. The exception is Japan, which still holds an annual hunt. Although Japan is subject to criticism for this, their official explanation is that they conduct the whaling for research purposes.
Whaling has always used an implement called the harpoon. A harpoon is a spear-shaped metal implement that is directed through the air at its target from the whaling vessel. In ancient times, the harpoon was held in the hand and thrown by the power of the hunter's arm. This would be done by a sailor standing in a smaller vessel positioned strategically next to the whale in the water. It cannot avoid surfacing at regular intervals, so the sailor would remain alert in the hunting boat, waiting for it to do so.
Modern harpoon technology involved explosives or electric shocks, and the harpoons were launched from the whaling ship with great force by a mechanized cannon. The harpoon would either penetrate the whale's body and electrocute it, or its grenade component would explode in the whale's body and mortally injure or kill it.
Of course, whaling had a drastic effect on whale prevalence, and whales became rare. They take a long time to multiply, and in the larger species pregnancy lasts for as long as two years. With the exception of Japan, which refuses to cease hunting its annually pre-determined quota of whales, governments do not approve of this practice any more. As rare as they are now, if you ever get the opportunity to watch whales, you should take it.
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