Book 6, Question 54
Why Do Whales Travel So Far?
Many whales make long trips each year, called migrations. They feed in cold, food-rich water, and then swim to warm water to have their babies. So cold water is like a pantry, and warm water is like a nursery!
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 6
More fun facts
- Whales make some of the longest migrations on Earth, often swimming thousands of miles over many months.
- Most whales go without eating during these trips, because there is little food for them in the tropics.
- Scientists think whales that feed in cold water travel to warm water to shed old skin and grow healthy new skin.
- Humpback whales may make the longest known migration of any mammal.
- Some humpbacks swim from the Antarctic Peninsula all the way to warm waters off Costa Rica.
- Humpbacks can defend themselves from killer whales more easily in shallow, warm water.
- One humpback made a record trip of about 8,000 miles across three oceans.
Sources: NOAA, National Geographic Education, Smithsonian Magazine
Questions kids ask
Do whales eat while they migrate?
Most do not. They fast for months because there is little food for them in the tropics.